What Picture Are You Creating?

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 NIV)

A few weeks ago, I talked with my daughter in her bedroom as bedtime drew near. Many children like to read stories as part of a nightly routine, but Josie likes to draw and color before the lights go out. This evening she asked if she could draw a picture of me. I said of course and continued to chat with her as she sketched.

A few minutes later, she revealed the finished piece to me. She’d drawn me sitting in a chair, holding a small rectangle in my hand.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Your phone. You look at it a lot!”

Ouch.

I had tried to be careful about my screen time in front of the kids, but clearly, my running a business from home plus keeping on top of all the family activities, emails, and a fair amount of social media mixed in was not going unnoticed by my children. I worked at hiding my disappointment and shame, praising her for the lovely picture.

That drawing was a wake-up call for me. My phone spent enough time in my hand to be featured in my portrait. But I didn’t want my children to remember me staring at a screen instead of into their eyes.

I wonder what it would look like if God drew our pictures. Would the illustrations feature cell phones? Most likely they would, since we all rely heavily on technology these days. Would our images blur as we rush from one activity to the next? Would he sketch our faces as smiling? Or with the wearied look of a person overwhelmed by the troubles of the world?

I decided that night to change the image I was presenting to my kids and to God. I had been putting entertainment and distraction on the throne when that place is reserved for the Lord alone. I want my kids to remember me as a present mother whose faith and family took priority over frivolous things.

I put a few changes in place to help put my desire to seek God’s kingdom first into action. I now wake to vibration from my fitness tracker, bypassing that first peek at the phone to shut off an alarm. I head to my favorite chair, a vintage lime-green wingback, and pick up my Bible, stopping only for a cup of black coffee on the way. When my children wake, they now find a mother feeding herself on God’s promises instead of scrolling through news feeds.

I also designated a home for my phone. Instead of in my back pocket, it lives on a corner of my kitchen counter. I find myself less likely to go to the phone in moments of boredom if it’s not immediately available. Now I use this time to say a prayer and think about what need I’m hoping to meet by checking my phone. Jesus stands at the ready to meet those needs in ways earthly things never can. Finally, I end my day screen free by praying the Examen, a traditional prayer that helps you reflect on your day and note where you saw God working.

These little shifts have helped me start the day with God, find God in my day, and end the day with him, placing him back at his rightful place on the throne of my life. My entire family has benefited from these simple changes.

Think of the image you’re creating with your life. Do your actions align with your desires and priorities? If not, take some time today to reflect on changes you can make to create a life pleasing to God. What does it look like to put God first in your life in practical ways? How can you work to be more conformed to the will of God than the will of culture?

 

Lord, we confess that other things often occupy your rightful place in our lives. Forgive us for not making you a priority at all times. Teach us to make time for you above all else. Thank you for the grace we’ll inevitably need as we stumble on the path to righteousness. Thank you for your Son, the ultimate example of living a life intimately connected to the Father. Amen.

 Scripture for Reflection

In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success. (Proverbs 3:6 TLB)

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 ESV)

Reach for More

Our faith was made to grow and flourish in the context of community. Do you know someone whose spiritual disciplines you admire and wish to incorporate into your own life? Seek the counsel of others you can learn from and tell us about women who inspire your walk with Christ. Use the hashtag #tgtreachformore to share that hard-earned knowledge with our community.

Lindsay Hufford is a writer, slow marathoner, home educator and mediocre knitter. Her favorite things include books, kombucha, kitchen dancing, natural wellness, Jesus, and nachos. She spends days with her handsome hubby, three adorable kids, a flock of hens, a runaway peahen, wandering barn cat, and rescue dog. Lindsay shares ways to live simply and love extravagantly at www.lindsayhufford.com.

Photograph © Aaron Burden, used with permission