I’ve devoted more time and energy to screens instead of faces for a long time. By God’s grace I have always held it in good balance. I haven’t idolized social media as a way for validation or affirmation. I know who I am in Christ.

But, in a social-media age, it’s even easier for us to be disconnected or disengaged people. People can follow us or friend us without really knowing us. Relationship connections are easy, but if we aren’t careful they can become quite shallow. We now can build a platform or become an influence in others lives just by amassing Twitter and Instagram followers.

I certainly don’t view social media or any form of technology as inherently bad, of course. They can be creative outlets and fun interaction, and they can certainly be used to glorify God, but in this current season, I cannot underestimate the great value of a faithful life lived on the ground and in the ordinary.

This year, 2017, I want to love and know Him more — more completely, more fully. I want to be present for the people around me; to love and listen to and be in the trenches with them better. I want to dig deep into His purpose for me since He knit me together: to radiate and present His glory to the world and to enjoy Him forever.

This is currently a good decision for me, this is not meant to lay on guilt or conviction, that’s not my job. We each have our decisions to make and lives to live.

For me personally to get what my heart longs for, it means a change in where I invest my time, specifically time on the internet, specifically time prioritizing the creation of encouraging, creative, appealing, and helpful online accounts.

What other reasons do I have?

I want to learn new things from the Bible or from Holy Spirit, and not immediately share them with the world, but meditate on them.

I want to let His Spirit dig deep roots of righteousness in the unknown and unseen places in my life. I have felt in the past 6 months that my mind is continually whirring with statements and blog posts I’ve read, with thoughts and books I’ve read, with beautiful Instagram posts I see… things are being digested, but not much of it is being absorbed or taking root.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Fill your mind with things that inspire worship of God and service to others. ESV Study Bible

I hope and pray that time not sharing and posting and checking will clear my mind.

My mind and heart have become cluttered with all the opinions and circumstances of others. I desire to more clearly and confidently get my direction, my passion, my ideas, my motivation, from Jesus, from my loved ones, from trusted counselors, not from what and how others are appearing via Instagram.

True humility before God and his mercy will satisfy every craving we try, out of pride, to satisfy ourselves. If we knew how happy we would be without our pride, we would have left him long ago…. Don’t believe in yourself; believe in God. You are utterly incapable of achieving or earning what you need most. The beauty of the gospel is that you no longer need to. That burden and responsibility sits on Christ’s shoulders, and his freedom, humility, and joy now rest on yours. Marshall Segal

I want to spent more time writing letters to friends and family, to share funny stories or sweet lessons I’m learning.

I want to actually call friends on the phone more often to talk about the day or circumstance, instead of assuming they already know because of a blog post. I want to be free from the pressure of formulating a blog post with correct grammar, or an Instagram post that is creative and memorable. To spend less time looking at a screen, and more time looking into eyes of other human beings.

If we don’t live in unity to build the kingdom of God, life just becomes a competition to build your own kingdom.

I hope to no longer be distracted during a great moment, because I’m trying to find a way to document it well or beautifully.

I want to be fully present, to enjoy and savor a moment with all the weight that it brings. Oftentimes a moment becomes a sweeter memory when I keep it myself.

The unknown places of our private lives are honoring to God when we are faithful and obedient in the joy of Christ.

Many of us feel something of a disconnect between our public and private lives. We skimp on our private formation, while mastering our public persona. We don’t build the foundation that Christ did by cultivating faithfulness and communion with God in our private lives, and then we scratch our heads at the collapsing house in front of us… When we don’t treasure our private relationship with God in the midst of our public life, it becomes easier to give in to temptation. Compromise tastes sweet, because we have not been drinking living waters. If we aren’t drawing up buckets of water from the well of God in Christ, then we will build broken cisterns that cannot hold water (Jeremiah 2:13). Liz Wann

This is probably a pretty serious sounding post, and I am passionate that this is a faithful choice with the Father and will make space for more growth spiritually and experience of Him. But… I hope it’s a year that I remember. A year I opened myself up to God’s movement and work not only in my life, but in those around me. I want it to be a year of deeper friendships, of more creative hobbies with pen and paper, of more prayer and times of quiet, and whatever else God has in store for 2017.

Wanted to write it out for those who frequent this blog, or my social media accounts, so it doesn’t seem that I all of sudden have a distaste for the internet or something. :)