For the past few weeks, Courtney at Women Living Well has devoted Mondays to discussing how technology – cell phones, social media, video games, T.V., etc. – affects our relationships. The first week she discussed how it affects our relationship with God. Next she discussed how it affects our marriages. And today she is discussing the role it plays in our children’s lives and development. (This will be a two part discussion.)
I have to admit that the first week – how media affects our relationship with God – I didn’t feel like I had enough to write a whole post. Recently I have been thinking about this further and have noticed that since my alarm clock is my phone I am in the habit of checking “everything” – and I mean everything – email, Twitter, and Facebook – before I even get out of the bed!! Ahhh!! This is definitely a reflection of not putting God first in my day, something that I am trying to work on!
The next week – how media affects our relationship with our husbands – I again didn’t feel like I had anything to write about. That is until Media Monday passed, and later in the week my husband said these words,
“You’re here all day on your computer, and when I come home you don’t even spend time with me because you’re still on your computer!”
Ouch!!!
So today we are supposed to write about how media affects our children, but I don’t have children yet, and this issue with my husband was ‘brought to my attention” after last week’s Media Monday about marriage, so today I am writing (and admitting), that yes, media does affect my marriage.
So what have I done differently since that day a week ago?
Right now I am at home during the day. I just wrapped up my teaching year in June, so I typically have summers off from work, but this summer is different in that God told me to get off the ferris wheel, so I am also in between jobs. I do have a lot of time to do what I love – write – and I do spend a lot of time on the computer during the day. Even though I can justify that what I am doing is productive and helpful and useful, it is not more important that what I will take into eternity with me – my husband and the other relationships in my life.
So last week, after the gentle reminder from my husband, I tried really, really hard to not pick up my phone or the computer from the time he came home from work until the next morning. I can’t say that I was perfect, but it was a definite step.
Now it’s time to leave this for now, and go practice what I preach!
How does media affect your relationships with God, your husband, or your children? Please tell me here, and be sure to visit Women Living Well for Courtney’s wise, wise thoughts!!
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