Fasting: Phones and Sabbath

Rebecca and I (Eric) have begun a new rhythm of fasting from our phones during our weekly Sabbath. It always seemed like a daunting task for me. What if a friend is trying to text me? What if I miss out on something with my family? Why can’t I just check Instagram or Facebook when I’m resting? I’m not saying there is anything wrong with being on your phone during Sabbath, but for us, we felt the need to put away our phones once a week. During our Sabbath seemed like the best time. It has only been a couple weeks, but we already feel a difference. We seem more rested and “unplugged.” We seek each other and, more importantly, God more when we put our phones away. They can be such a distraction in our daily lives and taking a 24-hour fast from them has been just what we needed to fully rest in God’s presence.