Your weekly roundup of insights and resources to help you get more done for the glory of God.

In Today’s Issue:Taking Phone Addiction Seriously1 Corinthians 6:12 on DistractionHope for Christians Who Are Bad at HabitsAmbition Is GoodHow to Get Your Kids Off Their Phone

Dear steward,

You know what’s weird?

As my apps and devices become more powerful, that should presumably mean I’m able to get more done in a day with them. Yet, I find the opposite to be the case.

Don’t get me wrong, I am able to accomplish certain tasks faster with a computer or even a phone today when compared to 10 or even just 5 years ago. But I’m also more prone to distraction.

The problem, as I see it, is that all of our devices are dual-use.

My computer isn’t just a word processor, video editor, or coding machine. It’s also a YouTube theater, social media access point, and general curiosity satisfier.

Your phone has the potential to make you more productive and the potential to waste your time. And it’s almost always easier to choose the wasting time path. Even worse, the more time you spend on the entertainment side of your device, the more time you want to spend there, and the less time you end up spending actually accomplishing what you need to get done.

I think that’s why with each passing year, I find myself becoming more of a digital minimalist. I thank God for technology and what it helps me accomplish. But I know that I need to be intentional about insulating myself from its distracting effects.

Digital minimalism is actually the theme we’re exploring this month in the Academy. We’ve got a digital detox challenge going, along with a workshop on strategies for reducing problematic screen time planned for August.

If you aren’t loving the current state of your relationship with your device, this is a good month to join the Redeeming Productivity Academy.

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What’s New Taking Phone Addiction Seriously (10 mins)

In this week’s deep dive, I explores the settled science behind smartphone addiction, the spiritual consequences for Christians, and how embracing intentional inconvenience can help us break free.

Watch | Read | Listen

Weekly Word

“’All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything.”
– 1 Corinthians 6:12

Not everything that is permissible is beneficial, and that includes how we use our time and attention. As stewards of these lives, we need to regularly be asking ourselves, “Am I in control of this habit, or is it controlling me?” It doesn’t have to be a sin to be a distraction.

Worth Your TimeHope for Christians Who Are Bad at Habits (3 mins)
Darryl Dash brings biblical truth and encouragement for believers who struggle to build consistency. “But here’s the good news: even if you’re not a natural habit keeper, there’s hope. You can build spiritual habits that help you grow.”Work Hard, Be Humble (9 mins)
I enjoyed this encouragement from Paul Tripp. “God created us to achieve and succeed, but after sin corrupted our hearts, his saving and redeeming grace then ignites a radical shift in our ambition. Whereas once our thoughts, desires, words, and actions were motivated and directed by our ambition to achieve our definition of personal happiness, by grace, they are now shaped by our ambition for the kingdom of God to accomplish all God has designed for it to achieve. Whereas once we were ambitious for what we wanted, now we are ambitious to do the will of God.”What Kids Told Us About How to Get Them Off Their Phones (5 mins)
With trying to limit screen time for kids, it’s easy to overlook the other side of the equation. What do we expect them to do when they aren’t on screens? “Kids will always have more spare hours than adults can supervise—a gap that devices now fill. ‘Go outside’ has been quietly replaced with ‘Go online.’ The internet is one of the only escape hatches from childhoods grown anxious, small, and sad.”Words of Wisdom

“As soon as we see that the TV cord is a vacuum line, piping life and meaning out of the household, we can unplug it.”
– Wendell Berry, The Gift of the Good Land, 1981

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