Ever come to the last episode in a great Netflix series and not want to press play because you don’t want it to be over just yet? I get it- that’s how today feels as we conclude the REDEEM Her Phone Time Challenge Series. But I have good news…it’s not really over yet. Today I’m asking you 10 questions that will help you reflect on what you’ve learned and sharing how to carry those important lessons with you moving forward. Now that you’ve hit play already, we might as well bring it to an end…kinda.
Hey friend- so if last episode was the penultimate, what does that make this one? The ultimate, the finale, the big sha-bang…the end…but not really.
First, if you’ve been doing the math you may think I’ve lost my marbles…I AM losing my marbles but I’ll explain that on an episode coming up soon. I mean come on Lissa, you said this was a 40 day challenge which is a LOT to commit to already…and we started back on February 22nd, so by my math, this makes it Day 46…and you’re right. So let me explain.
I decided to make this challenge go along with the Lent Season because that’s a time that many Christians fast or go without something in order to prepare their hearts and minds for Easter. So why not go without our phones (or at least as much as we usually use them)? Being the smart person I am, I googled when the Lent Season started in 2023, marked the start date and got the ball rolling. It wasn’t till we got about ⅔ of the way through that I realized something- inside our group, we’ve been counting the days on each day’s post and we seemed to be quickly approaching 40 well before April 6th, which is when Lent is supposed to end. What’s up with that?
So I consulted google again…I told you I’m smart…and discovered that the 40 days of Lent does NOT include the 6 Sundays during that time period, so when you take the 40 other days + 6 Sundays that equals 46, hence today is Day 46. So now you know…and now you know you can do hard things- even harder things than you thought.
Whether you’ve done all 46, 40…or anything less…CONGRATS! Here’s me giving you a high five, a fist bump, or better yet a warm hug to say well done my friend.
But more important than that, God is cheering for you too- He cares about how you use your time…including your phone time. And the discipline and commitment you’ve shown as part of this challenge is a testimony to His grace and work in your heart and life…cuz we can’t do it alone, right?
In fact, they say (wait, let me go check google to confirm…) yep- they say it takes 21 days to break a habit (at least that’s what they used to say, so we’re going with it) and you just doubled that and then some… so you’ve undoubtedly broken some habits with how you spend your phone time. Yeah for you!
And studies show it takes an average of 66 days to make a new habit, so you’re already over halfway there! Let’s keep going! Actually I’m reading it can take up to 254 days so if we keep this ball rolling till Nov 3rd, we’d for sure be crushing it. You with me????
Whether it’s 21, 66, 254, or a lifetime to create new habits with our time, it’s worth it.
And I don’t know about you, but I’m not wanting to go back to the way things were when I wasted hours mindlessly on my phone with nothing to show for it. In fact, I’m working on creating the REDEEM Her Time Rule of Life and screens is one of the categories…you’re gonna love this idea for forming how you live inside and out so you can love God and love others more and more…so stay tuned.
I want my phone to be part of what shapes me into His image by using it well. Don’t you?
So before we complete graduation of our first 40 (ahem, 46 days) of a new relationship with our phone time, I’ve got 10 questions to help you reflect.
Grab out your journal and pen, cuz instead of me sharing more insights and stories, I’m just gonna ask then I’ll be quiet so you can reflect. Ready?
- What phone-time habit(s) most concerned you before we started?
- What phone-time habits(s) do you still need to address?
- How has this challenge helped you love God more?
- How has this challenge helped you love others more?
- What changes have you seen in your screen time? Open up settings to see the actual numbers- and hopefully you wrote down your initial numbers so you can compare.
- What changes have you seen in your top used apps? You can find this under settings in battery usage.
- What new phone-time habit(s) do you want to keep?
- How has having an eternal perspective helped you make better use of your phone-time?
- When you are 100, how do you want others to remember you? And what will they say about your phone? (Compare your answer now with the one you wrote down in the guide at the beginning of the challenge. And if you didn’t get a guide, come inside the group and you will find it pinned to the top- or just shoot me an email at lissa@redeemhertime.com)
- How will you stay accountable to using your phone well in light of eternity?
I know I promised you I’d stop talking so you could have time to reflect, but there’s one more thing I want to say…
THIS. IS. NOT. THE. END.
The other word that is used for graduation is COMMENCEMENT…and do you know what that means? Let’s consult google for a definition…
Commencement (n): a beginning or start, a ceremony in which degrees or diplomas or completion certificates are conferred on graduating students.
So this is not the end of the challenge…it’s actually just the beginning of a life with less of your phone. It’s the beginning of a new life in which you are more present with who + what matters most in this season and in light of eternity because you are less distracted by your phone. It’s the beginning of a new you who finds her identity in Christ and in what He has done on your behalf, not what you can do to earn His or anyone else’s approval. It’s the beginning of you you will redeem something the enemy has used for distraction as a tool of construction- to love God and love others more and more.
THIS. IS. JUST. THE. BEGINNING. And it will only keep getting better.
That’s not to say it will always be easy and that you’ll never struggle- it will be EASIER and you will struggle LESS with the right heart and habits about your phone-time. And you know what will make the biggest difference in your success moving forward?
NOT. DOING. IT. ALONE.
Cuz we all had those kids in our graduating class who walked the stage with honors, but whose life fell apart somewhere along the way when they lost their way.
Recently I was reminded of the passage in Ecclesiastes 4: 9-11 (which was read at our wedding by the way) and says…
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their work. For if they fall, one will lift up the other. But woe to him (or her) who has no one to lift him up!
Who’s your other one?
I’d love to be your girl and so would those who are inside the REDEEM Her Time Community. Are you already an insider? If so, find someone inside who will help keep you accountable. And if you’re not, what are you waiting for? Let’s not undo all the work you’ve done during this challenge. Come join us- it’s free! Just head to the website link in the show notes and click the button at the top. Then introduce yourself with a post that says, I AM NOT DONE REDEEMING MY PHONE TIME.
Cuz we’re better together. And we’ve got lots more to do…together!
In fact, the REDEEM Her Time Group Coaching Program starts in just a few weeks…that’s the perfect way to keep growing as you build a faith-led life plan and time management framework to navigate what God has for you in this season and in light of eternity. Spots are limited and will fill up fast, so go visit the redeemhertime.com website and click coaching to learn more and snag your spot.
I know you’re itching to start reflecting on those 10 questions, so I’ll drop them in the show notes too in case you’re multitasking (like we talked about on Episode 119), but let me pray for your first….
Dear God,
Thank you for this dear sister who has come to this point in our challenge. We acknowledge that we can do nothing on our own, but only with your wisdom and strength. By your Spirit, give her insights as she reflects to see the work you have done in her heart and phone use and challenge her to continue to honor you with how she uses it moving forward. Thank you for the reminder that we cannot do it alone- may we seek true accountability to help us keep growing in your ways so that we will be fruitful. Thank you for all you have taught us and we ask that by the Holy Spirit you continue to teach us, guide us, correct us, train us and remind us that everything we do is for you and in light of eternity. May others see the difference in how we live, even with our phones and want to know more. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
You know, I’ve been thinking about this moment since the beginning and didn’t want to forget to say one more thing now that we’re at the end.
As you move on (and BEFORE) you pick up your phone each day, ask yourself, “How will what I’m about to do honor Him and build His Kingdom?”
And when you notice those around you scrolling and tapping with their head down missing out on what’s right in front of them, don’t judge, cuz that was you at one point too.
But let it be a reminder to look up and ask what God has for you in this moment that matters more than whatever is on your phone.
Thanks for joining me for this episode and until next time, remember…
You DO have ALL the time you need to do what He has called you to in this season and in light of eternity…
Follow His example to create a rightly ordered schedule and a rightly ordered heart.
Cuz you are here for Such a Time as This.
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 You can Create to Make your Phone Less Accessible and Better Manage your Time
Ep 114 Don’t be a Hypocrite. 3 Steps to Redeem your Phone-Time (and heart) as a Christian Woman
Ep 115 Download these 5 Apps to Love God More and Make Better Use of Your Time
Ep 116 4 Things that are Better that Should Make you Put Down Your Phone, Pt 1
Ep 117 Download these 5 Apps to Love Others More and Make Better Use of Your Phone-Time
Ep 118 4 Things from the Psalms that are Better that Should Make you Put Down Your Phone, Pt 2
Ep 119 5 Times in Your Day it’s Good to Multitask Using Your Phone to Grow as a Christian Women
Ep 120 This is not ALL there is to LIfe. 3 Ways an Eternal Perspective Directs your Phone Use and Time Management
Ep 121 5 Ways to Redeem Your Phone Time to Remember God’s Faithfulness as a Busy Christian Woman
Visit the REDEEM Her Time Website https://redeemhertime.com
> Grab a spot for the REDEEM Her Time Coaching Program
> Join the REDEEM Her Time Community (did I mention it’s FREE?!)
> Schedule a free 15 Min Strategy Session
> Submit a question or comment
>>> or DO ALL-THE-ABOVE!
