Unplugged

How distracted are you? Really…think about that for a moment. What is causing you to be distracted from the most important part of your life?

The iPad, the tablet, podcasts, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Truth Social, Google, TED TV, computers…not to mention the smartphone. We are the most “plugged-in” generation ever to grace this planet. Let’s take a moment and consider the smartphone. Simple design and relatively small…but what a marvel of technology and it DOES so much!

Consider the items that smartphones have replaced: the pocket calendar, flashlight, newspaper, camera, movie camera, tape recorder, watch, hand held games, calculator, VCR /DVR, TV, radio, the public library, computer (to a limited extent), the typewriter, outdoor weather station, photo album, movie projector. AND…it also replaces the original cel phone (which, by the way, only had 30 minutes of talk time and you could only make phone calls on it!). So many uses and sources of information right in the palm of our hand!

We have more information available to us, literally at our fingertips, than any generation that has ever roamed planet Earth. Yet, what good is all that to us? OK…we can instantly know what our 1,000+ “friends” had for lunch, but…REALLY???

While we are busy watching the latest podcast of our favorite preacher/speaker/host, researching the latest Christian hot-button issue, and/or listening to our favorite Christian song, what time are we actually giving to God Himself? Are we spending more time with Him…alone…UNPLUGGED?

Let’s take a look at Luke 5:16…

“But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

If you take a few moments extra and read verses 12-16, you would see the context in which this takes place. Crowds of people are clamoring to see Jesus. They sought Him out to hear what He had to say and they sought Him out to be healed of their infirmities, literally, to be freed from their weaknesses and frailties.

What was Jesus’ response to all this? We might think that verse 16 would be a glowing report of all the miraculous healings going on and filled with His mighty teaching. But, no, verse 16 is much different from what we might write. It says that Jesus’ response to the crowds was to withdraw. To pull away, retire quietly. Why would He do that?

Jesus would not just pull back from the crowd, but He did so to a “desolate place”. The Greek word for this is erèmos, meaning a solitary, uncultivated and unpopulated place that also provides needed quiet — and freedom from disturbance.

Wherever Jesus went, He was followed…by a LOT of people. They were amazed by the miracles, enthralled by His preaching, and challenged by His message. Jesus had precious little time to Himself, yet He chose to get away. Not for “me-time”. Not to “clear his head”. Not to “get away from it all”. He chose to get away…TO PRAY To seek His Father’s face. To keep His priorities. For RELATIONSHIP!

We have a tendency to get caught up in all the trappings that are a part this life (job, recreation, finances, entertainment, relationships, which are all good and necessary) but forget to set aside time for what is truly important — our relationship with God the Father.

Here’s a suggestion to improve your most important relationship: find a quiet place to seek God!

Seek God when we are fearful — Psalm 118:5-6

Seek God in times of need — Hebrews 4:16

Seek God when we don’t understand — Romans 8:28

Seek God…for everything — Philippians 4:6-7

Seek God…in earnest — Jeremiah 29:13

As we can see by these verses, we can seek God at all times in all circumstances. We don’t have to be in a quiet place but, let us not forget the example that Jesus gave us. There were specific and determined times in His busy life that He chose to “unplug” from the demands made upon Him. It is important to note that He did not just get away. He got away with a purpose, and that purpose was to seek His Father.

God is always with us, but we hear Him most clearly when we seek Him away from the cacophony of life!