Reading
“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (NRSV)
Reflection
Have you ever heard Annie Dillard’s line, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives”? I don’t remember when I first heard it, but it’s something I return to often. And lately, it’s led me to another question: Do I really want to spend my life on my phone?
Obviously not. Yet, it’s often the first thing I reach for in the morning and the last thing I set down at night.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been meeting with a group of college students who are home for the summer, and we’ve been reading John Mark Comer’s The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. One theme we keep circling back to is our relationship with our phones. Week after week, we name the same frustrations: distraction, comparison, wasted time. Some of us have started to make changes. Others of us (myself included) are still struggling to loosen our grip.
In his book, Comer tells a story about watching his neighbors, who are dedicated runners, head out for long runs without even breaking a sweat. He finds himself wishing he could do the same, but then he admits something honest: he isn’t willing to adopt the lifestyle that would make that possible.
I think many of us live in that tension of wanting a different kind of life but hesitating when it comes to making the changes that would actually lead us there. I want to be less attached to my phone, but I’m not always ready to give up the endless scroll. I want to step away from social media, but I worry about missing something: big news, small updates, the everyday moments of people I know. Never mind that if I’m truly close to someone, I’ll hear about those things anyway.
It’s ironic, really. I worry about missing out, but in reality, I’m already missing out on the life that’s right in front of me.
We become what we give our attention to. What we consistently watch, read, and listen to shapes us. If we fill our minds with comparison, negativity, or gossip, it inevitably spills over into how we think, speak, and live. I’ve seen it in my own life. Even something as simple as watching too much reality TV can influence my attitude and behavior in ways I don’t like.
In Matthew 11, Jesus offers an invitation: “Come to me… and I will give you rest.” Not a demand, but an invitation. He doesn’t force us. He simply opens the door.
Eugene Peterson paraphrases Matthew 11:30 this way: “Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Doesn’t that sound nice? I want to live freely and lightly. But I can’t do that while constantly glued to my phone. I can’t receive that kind of rest without making space for it.
At some point, I have to choose. I have to be willing to set the phone down, to turn my attention elsewhere, to accept the invitation that’s been there all along. Because the life I want – the light, free, unhurried life – is found not in my phone, but in Christ.
I invite you to join me in reflecting on these questions this week:
- What might it look like, practically, for you to “come to Jesus” in your day-to-day life?
- What is one realistic step you could take this week to create more space for rest and less dependence on your phone?
- How would your life feel different if you were truly living “freely and lightly”?
Prayer
Holy and Loving God,
Help us to slow down and turn our attention toward you. Teach us to let go of what distracts us and to receive the rest you offer us. Show us how to live freely and lightly in your grace. Amen.
