Hey friend- just wanna say thanks for being a faithful follower of the podcast…and I’m so glad you’re a follower of Jesus too! Did you know that downloads have nearly doubled in the past month? I’ll take that as a good sign that this podcast has God’s blessing (cuz I believe He’s mightier than the algorithm to bring exponential growth) and that this podcast has your ear cuz it’s what your heart needs.
In fact, on a recent Schedule-Shaping Strategy Session, I shared with a client what I have written on a post it on my computer-
BUSY is NOT a DISORDERED SCHEDULE…it’s a DISORDERED HEART.
Wow. That was a mic-drop moment for us on that call and really directed how we created her list of what matters and her ideal weekly schedule to give it the attention she (and God) desires.
Speaking of which, there are only a few spots left to grab a 1 hour session with me this month… so let me talk to that busy and bustling girl listening (if your life is already low-key and always laid-back you can sit this part out or fast forward 30 seconds or so)
But if you’re here and you’re feeling the struggle and stress from nearly the minute you wake up till you drop in bed exhausted (probably later than you should) and wonder where did the time go…and what did I actually do today…it’s time to push pause to change that with a simple system + support. You may not feel like you can afford an hour of your precious time, but I’m here to tell you, if you keep going like this living off good intentions and running from one fire to the next with your own hair on fire, you can’t afford NOT to invest an hour…cuz eventually it will cost you more.
Together we’ll take a look at where your time is actually going (not just where you think it’s going) and notice judgment-free how that feels. Next we’ll identify what really matters in this season (and get rid of what doesn’t) then lay out a plan for how to be fully present in each part of your day in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming or draining. And then you’ll put it to the test in your real-life and we’ll work together to tweak it over the next 2 weeks and work out the kinks where your time is still stuck.
Remember that girl I shared the quote with? She came on the call heavy-laden….in fact she shared she had been ironing, stirring a pot and doing something else I can’t remember all at the same time right before we got on…no wonder she was tired! But by the end of just a 1 hour session, I sensed a lightness so I asked her what made the shift (since nothing had changed on the outside about her circumstances)…and do you know what she said?
Having someone help her look at her time and tasks from a different perspective showed her things she wasn’t seeing on her own. And now she had hope that by having a plan, she could make time with God and her family a priority and show up fully present….and not try to keep doing 3 things at once!
That’s schedule-shaping and heart-transforming!
Girl, push pause and go grab a spot with the link in the show notes before they’re gone so you can feel the shift too.
I get it. I can totally relate to her plight- feeling like everyone and everything needs your attention all at once and running around (ironing, stirring and forgetting whatever it was you were gonna do) thinking that was truly loving God and serving those He’s called you to.
I think Martha could relate too.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the story of Mary and Martha and what happened when Jesus came to their house in Luke 10. I just gotta say, I think Martha gets a bad rap cuz when the Son of God and his disciples pop by for lunch, I think I’d be scrambling to get things on the table too…but she didn’t have Instacart or an instapot to help!
Meanwhile her sister Mary was sitting at the LORD’s feet listening to Him teach…and soaking it all in.
I don’t know about you, but us DO-ers don’t much like it when those around us are oblivious to the fact that we could use some help around here! No wonder Martha got frustrated with her sister- doubtless she was giving her the ahem and the pssst and the evil eye from around the corner, but Mary seems to not even notice…or care.
After her fruitless attempts to get her sister to help, she went to the authority in the house, Jesus, and says, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?” And without giving Him time to answer she adds an imperative (aka command) “Tell her to help me!” (my ESV translation has an exclamation mark, cuz I’m sure she was emphatic by this time- I would be too!)
Everything she said was true- her sister had left her to do the work by herself- but Jesus doesn’t address the bustling kitchen, He addresses her busy heart. “Martha, Martha.” I don’t think He said it in an exasperated tone like I do with my kids when I’ve asked them to come help and finally have to take things to the next level to get their attention. He says it with grace and kindness as He always does. And then He goes on…
“You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed- or indeed only one.”
What is needed- the pot that’s boiling over? The silverware that needs to be polished? The drinks that need to be poured?
Nope- nothing in the kitchen. It’s what’s happening in the living room.
“Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
And then the story ends. What!? Don’t leave us hanging LORD. Did she huff back into the kitchen cuz food needed to be served? Did she untie her apron and go sit by her sister? We don’t know for sure…but we can catch a glimpse of her heart later in the story in John 11 when Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus was dead (and already in the grave 2 days I might add)
Check out what happened in John 11:20-27…
So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord,if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, j“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Did you feel the shift? Now Martha is the one running to the LORD and speaking back the truth He had been sharing about who He was and why He came.
I think Martha figured out what was better- what matters more, don’t you?
Martha had to put down her spoon, her apron and her attitude to give Him her attention…and maybe those are what fill your time these days in this modern world too.
But I’m guessing what’s in your hand in the kitchen is not the problem…it’s what’s in your hand everywhere you go that needs to be put down to focus on what matters more- Your Phone. You probably knew I was gonna say that since we’re still inside the REDEEM Her Phone-Time Challenge Series, right? Or maybe you knew cuz it’s true.
The ESV says Martha was DISTRACTED with much serving.
She was trying to serve others and still that was not what mattered most in that moment. But sadly, when it comes to us and our phones, we’re often distracted serving ourselves- feeling good about the likes and comments, searching for what will fix our problem, having to be in the know about everything and everyone around the world.
Our phones DISTRACT us from the 1 thing that’s necessary…a relationship with Him.
So today I’m not going to give you another 5 tips or tools to help you make your phone less attractive or less accessible (although I hope you did listen to those on Episode 109, 111 and 113 or go back to listen after this)…
Today I’m going to give you 4 reminders about what does matter that should make you put your phone down as a committed follower of Christ.
And these are all things from the Gospel of John that Jesus Himself reminded the people of in His day too….if they needed it back then, how much more do we in this age of digital distraction?
- The Gospel. The Gospel should get more of our likes, comments and shares than anything we see or post on our devices. The gospel is what changes everything because it’s the story of redemption- of God reaching out to man and inviting him to do life WITH Him which can only be made possible by the death and resurrection of His Son. I love that Martha heard it directly from Jesus and it changed her heart, and I dare say, how she used her time and lived her life.
John 3:16 is familiar, but foundational. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Preach the Gospel to yourself everyday and then go flesh it out in the way you live that matters for eternity…and reflect His grace to the world around you rather than sharing another link to something that will not last beyond this life.
The gospel doesn’t want to compete with the notifications on your phone, so you gotta put it down.
- Abiding. It just hit me that this podcast airs on the very day we touch down in Central Asia to go serve missionaries there who are sharing the Good News with the Muslim world around them. And the main focus of our trip is to encourage and equip them on a team retreat up in the mountains around the topic of abiding in Christ.
Jesus says in John 15: 4, “Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
Just like these missionaries cannot open the blinded hearts of those who are lost on their own, we in the Western world cannot do anything of eternal significance in our own strength either. No one would expect a branch laying on the ground to produce fruit, because it is not connected to the source it needs for life…yet we think we can bear fruit on our own when we’re pouring from an empty cup. That’s why you need to block off your morning and evening refills everyday before anything else. And if you need help doing that, grab a session with me.
But you gotta put your phone down to disconnect from the world and truly connect to the source of your life.
- Praying. I don’t know about you, but even without leaving my home here on the Figgy Farm, I can talk to a lot of people in my day- often all around the world. Many, in fact all, of those conversations, whether over text, email or an old fashioned phone call are in alignment with who God is calling me to serve…but how much time do I spend talking with my Father, the One who I say it’s all for?
It’s easy to spend a lot of time talking ABOUT Him…but how much are you talking TO Him? Probably little in comparison. And I’ve certainly wasted a lot of time and effort going after things I thought He would tell me to do, without actually taking the time to ask…and listen. You too? But when you put your phone down you can have a conversation.
In John 16:23-24 Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He will give it to you…ask and you will receive that your joy may be full.”
But you gotta actually talk to the Father (aka pray), and it’s gotta be in Jesus’s name, (which should keep your heart in check about what you’re asking)… and the result will be the fullness of joy which can only come from Him, and which you cannot get from a device.
But you gotta put your phone down to pray and talk with Him (unless of course you’re using the PrayerMate app I recommended)
- His Presence. This is the beauty of the WITH-God Principle we’ve been talking about- God actually wants to dwell with His people. And He didn’t pick the Isrealites, nor us, based on what we did, but on who He is and His desire to be present with us.
I love what Jesus says in John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
Before Christ, God’s presence dwelt in the tabernacle and then the temple, but since Christ opened the way to God, He now dwells in our hearts. But are we being present to His presence?
Recently I had a realization about Instagram…I had continued posting there because I thought I needed a “presence” on that platform, but I realized that if anyone liked, commented or messaged me there, I would have no idea and miss the opportunity to connect or serve because I wasn’t truly present. So that’s why I no longer even post there. (My apologies if you were one of the ones who got lost in the cracks of my lack of presence)
Being present to His presence for sure includes putting down your biggest distraction- your phone.
So there you have it- 4 reminders about what matters more that should make you put down your phone- the Gospel, Abiding, Prayer, His Presence.
The question is…are you going to choose the 1 thing that is necessary, the better thing?
I hope so. So at the count of 3, let’s both put down our phones together…. 1…2…
Wait- we can’t do that without taking a min to reflect on the gospel, abide in Him and be aware of His presence through prayer…so let’s do that first.
Dear Father-
You told us to come to you in Jesus’s name, so that’s what we are doing. Thank you for the Gospel- for sending your Son to take our place to pay for our sin so that we can be in right relationship with you. We don’t want to be the branch all by itself- we want to be connected to you, the True Vine who gives us life and causes us to bear fruit. We want to be in such close communication with you that our heart truly desires the things of you and you are the source of our overflowing joy. And we long to be aware of your presence, not distracted by the shiny things of this world, but gazing at your beauty and accepting your invitation to the WITH-God life. We confess that when our phones are in our hands, our hearts are often far from You. By your strength help us to put them down so we can sit at your feet and listen to Your voice because we know that you are the resurrection and the life. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
Now I wanna invite you to come join us inside the REDEEM Her Time Community and let’s talk more about what matters more than our phones…and help hold one another accountable to actually put them down! The struggle is real- that’s why we need each other my friend….I’ll drop the link in the show notes so you can find us.
Thanks for joining me for this episode and until next time, remember…
You DO have ALL the time you need to do ALL He has called you to.
Be available to who + what matters most in this season and in light of eternity…
Cuz you are here for Such a Time as This.
Ok back to the countdown…3…put it down and go focus on what matters more than your phone
Binge the REDEEM Her Phone-Time Challenge Series
Ep 105 No Time? The #1 Tip to Find 1-4 Hours in your Day for Better Time Management
Ep 106 Distracted by Your Phone? 2 Key Steps for Christian Women to Overcome Digital Distraction
Ep 107 Wish You Could Break-up with Your Phone? 3 Steps to Start Setting Healthy Screen-Time Boundaries
Ep 108 Don’t Live on Good Intentions. 4 Steps to Create a Personalized Phone-Time Plan to Prioritize What Matters
Ep 109 Wish your Phone wasn’t so Distracting? 5 Tips to Dumb-down your Smartphone to get more Time in your Day
Ep 110 3 Steps to Build the Kingdom of God with your Phone-Time as a Busy Christian Woman
Ep 111 Put it down. 5 NO Phone Zones for Better Time Management
Ep 112 Is your Phone Shaping You? 3 Questions to Ask to Be Transformed by God Instead
Ep 113 5 Speed Bumps to Make your Phone Less Accessible and Make Better Use of your Time
Ep 114 Don’t be a Hypocrite. 3 Steps to Redeem your Phone-Time (& heart) as a Christian Woman
Ep 115 Download these 5 Apps to Love God More and Make Better Use of Your Phone-Time
Visit the REDEEM Her Time Website https://redeemhertime.com
> Join the REDEEM Her Time Community (did I mention it’s FREE?!)
> Get the REDEEM Her Phone-Time Guide + Screensaver
> Schedule a free 15 Min Strategy Session
> Submit a question or comment
>>> or DO ALL-THE-ABOVE!
P.S. And don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts to get your name in the drawing for $100 OFF the REDEEM Her Time Coaching Program…coming soon!
