Author and therapist Eric Scalise writes, “We now live in the most technologically connected, but relationally disconnected, culture this country has ever experienced.” “Goodness, what did people do when they had an hour commute home from work and were unable to connect with a family member . . . unless, of course, they wanted to stop at every other gas station to use a pay phone? Yet, somehow we managed to survive the suspense of not knowing what was for dinner, the latest cute trick our dog had learned, the antics of our next door neighbor or whatever it was that Cathy said to Suzy until we walked in the front door.”
We live in an “instant gratification” society, with our computers, cellphones, microwaves, and so on. While our technological advances have made that possible, it has not come without a cost. One 2016 study determined that excessive screen time increased distraction and increased expectations for instant gratification. It found that over time people’s “emotional and cognitive reserves became that much more diminished.”
I sat with a couple this week teaching them a specific communication tool that, once learned, is pretty simple to use and can lead to resolved misunderstandings rather quickly. I was a bit surprised when the husband resisted using it because he “doesn’t have the patience and just wants this to be simple and happen now.” I should point out that what I was asking him to do would take all of 30 seconds, but he couldn’t wait that long.
I am reminded of the well-known passage of scripture found in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” I can’t help but wonder, are we ever still enough to really know God or does He need to contact us by text or Facebook post? Let’s not lose sight of what truly matters. The trivial can wait. Let’s find time to “Be still.” What we discover might just be truly amazing!