9 Skill Sets of Practicing a Digital Sabbath in an Information Saturated and Digitally Distracted World.
We live in a world bombarded with information.
It might be worth noting that we are mildly addicted to information simply because it is so readily available at our fingertips.
Regardless, the modes of information coming at us through our digital devices can cause symptoms of information overload, which I call Infobesity.
Symptoms of distraction, blue-screen fatigue, slight forms of mental illness, and feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, and sadness can set in.
Even spiritually, Infobesity can cause damage to our souls – we lack coping skills to deal with personal brokenness, relational isolationism, identity confusion, polarization of truth, and hyper-personalization of God as worship becomes clouded around our own preferences.
In saying this, how can modern-day followers of Jesus worship God in a digital age by practicing the Sabbath? Here are nine skill sets:
Practice a Digital Sabbath in Creation.
Physical activity, especially in the outdoors, stimulates creative thought, activates over 2 trillion neurons in your brain towards emotional regulation, and reconnects us to God.
We are centred by our souls, enjoying the surroundings, and can re-engage with God’s voice in the noisy world we live in.
In addition, we have experienced, for example, the benefits of creative thought through physical activity in our society. Steve Jobs invented the iPhone (ironically enough) in his daily walks. Barak Osama developed medical care for 30 million people who could not afford health insurance while playing late-night basketball with his friends. Roosevelt came up with the land-lease agreement, which is arguably one of the most important acts that brought the United States into a superpower for years to come, while he was fishing.
Here are some practical ideas to enjoy creation:
A daily 30-minute walk in your neighbourhood.
A 1-hour hike once a week,
A scheduled workout or sport with your friends and family.
This way, we can practice a digital sabbath and re-engage with God’s presence, voice, and ways for our lives.
Practice a Digital Sabbath with Digital-Free Activities.
To create a “better yes” with our digital devices is to develop activities outside of the plastic and shiny screens in our back pockets.
As a parent of four teenagers who have these devices, I have become increasingly aware of how their screens leer them to modern-day Infobesity known as “brain rot”.
We are all affected by it.
And yet, one of the greatest joys I have found in navigating our home with digital devices is to practice the Sabbath through digital-free activities.
The Sabbath is NOT just designed for relaxation or recreation but to reconnect with God.
For our family, this has included:
Activities at the community pool,
School sports,
Family date nights (which are digital-free).
And this has helped my teenagers navigate developing healthy digital habits as followers of Jesus.
Practice a Digital Sabbath with Digital Free Zones.
In our home, we have digital free zones. This includes the washrooms, bedrooms, and, just as important, the dinner table. As a highlight, the dinner table is a gathering place where families can reconnect, strengthen social connections and relational skills.
In fact, some of the most important conversations we can have is around a table. Indeed, we even see this with Jesus. His most important teachings, conversations, and pivot moments were around a table.
This can be the same for us.
In addition, we can create digital free time by practicing the 2-2-2 Principle. For example, our teenagers have no more than 2 hours of time on their devices per day, no later than 2 hours before bedtime and 2 hours when they wake up (for digital use outside of work or education).
This way, the 2-2-2 Principle empowers us to reset for the day, decompress from the day, and recharge our brains (during sleep) with the activities of the day.
These digital free zones can include:
The dinner table,
Attending a youth ministry and/or church service,
Create digital-free time in the home with the 2-2-2 Principle.
When we do, we are able to reconnect with God in worship, refocusing ourselves toward personal well-being and wholeness in God’s presence and voice, and reaching our full potential in God in an information-saturated and digitally distracted world.
What ideas do you practice when it comes to practicing a digital sabbath in worship? Feel free to add to the conversation.
And last,
