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The first time I realized I was addicted to my phone was when I couldn’t go to the bathroom without it. What a silly thought, right? What else am I supposed to do? Sit there? Exactly. Our minds aren’t meant to run on overstimulation 24/7 365 days a year, and yet that’s how many of us have lived our entire lives.
While technology is extremely helpful and useful, it also comes with caveats that we all need to be aware of, especially when it applies to our relationship with God. For many, using your phone doesn’t impact your spiritual life. You get up in the morning, and the Bible app with your daily plan is the first thing you see. But if we’re truthful, most of us use our phones, but are constantly distracted, and overstimulated, our eyes veering this way and that, within minutes of waking. We mean well. We want to stay focused, but this text, that call, and twelve notifications send us spiraling out of control.
Although it will be a challenge, one of the best ways we can go deeper with God is ditching the plan on our phone and using a physical Bible. Here are 3 reasons I stopped using a digital Bible plan (for the most part) and why you should consider it, too.
1. Minimizes Distraction and Receive Peace
In Proverbs 4:25-27, we read these words: “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and take only solid and right paths. Do not swerve to the right or the left; turn your foot away from evil” (NIV). This verse primarily refers to staying on the right path of life—living by God’s commands and not straying from His guidance. However, this wisdom can also be applied to distractions.
We all face distractions in this life. For some, it’s the endless stream of YouTube reels and videos. For others, it’s being busy, constantly multitasking, or believing the lie that Task A doesn’t really need as much attention as Task B. When we pursue two things at once, however, or are easily distracted by pings, noises, and external noise, we need to take action.
Living in a world with constant technology only amplifies this struggle. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the Bible app. I love reading God’s Word in different versions, languages, and audio styles. The plans are wonderful. But if I truly inspect my life and habits, I’ve learned that I need to write down my physical reading plan on a piece of paper and hold a tangible Bible in those first waking moments. Only after I’ve prayed and read the Word I hold, will I use my phone for additional reading.
If that sounds extreme to you, that’s okay. Everyone is different. But what I’ve learned in minimizing distractions is that my physical Bible needs to mean more to me than the to-dos on my phone every morning. The peace I receive from holding the physical Word of God will never compare to what I receive scrolling on a screen.