Lost in Connection
How Modern Distractions Drown Out Spiritual Voices
I grew up on a farm out in the country. The nearest neighbor lived half a mile from our house. The closest neighbor with anyone my age was two miles away. I rarely saw them or anyone else unless it was during the school year or church services.
I spent my time alone on the tractor, the horse, or working in the garden or fields. It was me and God, no one else. Life was very different then. There was no internet, no social media, and not much human interaction at all. We had an eight-party telephone line, not a cell phone, in our pocket and a connected watch on our arm. (That means that eight families shared the same telephone line; each had their own distinct ring to know to pick up.) I rode the bus to school 10 miles to school.
The beauty of all of that solitude was that I often read and studied my Bible, contemplated life, and spoke with God. Now fast-forward to today. It is hard to get a moment alone. The phone is always on our person, texts come in, emails come in, social media posts come in, the watch vibrates, the computer chirps, and the noise drowns it all out.
As a kid, mail came six days a week, but rarely anything for me. Visitors rarely came unless it was a neighbor farmer driving by. We have lost something; I think.
The deepest connection should be with God, and individuals can find it in quiet time, alone time, and silence. The noise of TV, the internet, social media, and constant connection seems to drown out real life.
Distractions
The 24-hour news cycles and the constant pressure to be “connected” created an assault on our senses and our spirits. The assault on our senses and our spirits easily drowns out the still, small voice of God.
It is not just the number of distractions, but their very nature. These “connections” appeal to our lowest instincts: the need to be validated and approved. The fear of missing out, the desire to be seen and heard, and the desire to hear expressions of love and friendship cause us to neglect the deeper, more fundamental aspect of our existence: our relationship with God.
Today, the temptation is greater than ever to put the opinions of others over the will of God. It is all about our performance. Likes, shares, and comments give us our worth and validation. How many followers do you have? This constant seeking of approval leads us astray from the spiritual pursuit of God.
Who are we trying to please, God or people?
Are we losing our purpose and unique place and calling of God on our lives?
The fickle opinions of the masses are often wrong and misguided, and in real life, real fulfillment will come from aligning with God and His will and work in our lives.
Getting back on the path
It’s time to try to find some alone quiet time, time to switch off all the distractions. To move forward, we must retreat. We need to be alone with God. We need to renew and recharge our spiritual lives.
As I get older, it becomes more difficult for me to hear a conversation in a crowded place full of people. All the voices and noises drown out the conversation I am so desperately trying to hear. That is what happens often with the voice of God.
We must intentionally seek some alone time, some voice-off time, some disconnection from the gossip chat lines of this world to hear the one voice we most need and want. It’s natural to feel a bit anxious about missing out, but remember, the most important connection is the one with God.
Take a few minutes, an hour a day, every now and then, and just leave it all. Take your old-fashioned paper Bible, a notebook, and a pen and get away to hear from God.
The Joys of Quiet
We can focus and refocus our attention on God instead of the approval of others. We can practice solitude and time alone with God. Think of all we can gain.
God’s will for our lives becomes clearer.
The constant need for validation diminishes as we find our worth in God’s love.
Regular communion with God builds a more resilient and deeply rooted faith.
We can live more authentically without pressure to conform to others’ expectations.
We can know the truth, and the truth can set us free.
God seems to only whisper in the world’s noise. Pleasing people has replaced pleasing God, but that is not what we want. We want to know God. He is our Father, and we will spend eternity with Him. Let’s get to know God.
Let’s decide to step away from the noise and the constant distraction and reconnect with God in the silence. Our faith will grow strong. Our purpose will become apparent, and life will have the abundance it was meant to have. Harmony with our Father will make life on earth like a slice of heaven.
I had a similar upbringing on our family farm in Oregon. I've also written about this topic, Austin. I'm so thankful I grew up before the internet or cell phones existed. I agree that so much of what you shared here has made having a deeper walk with God more challenging than it ever used to be. I taught in China for a couple of years in my twenties, and worked with international student when I returned to Oregon. My motive has been to serve the Lord and share His love and truth with others. To be honest, while I've been able to use FB less and less (there are a few reasons I don't just delete the account) and don't feel very drawn to that, even writing here can hold distraction. We need to hear the voice of the Shepherd most of all, and I have studied how digital distractions rewire the brain. So it's an ongoing effort to balance technology use and to have the deeper focus we need first of all in our walk with God, and also to serve Him well. I'm writing a book, and know that I need to block out time with no distractions to finish it. Praying for His help to keep things in balance.