How intentional are we being when we travel in a digital age?
The 21st century is bombarded with technology, left, right and centre. We are living in a digital age which is characterised by a constant overload of information and electronic stimulus. The Iphone 10 has just come out, Twitter is still going strong, people are Instagramming and SnapChatting every meal they consume and at the beginning of 2017 Facebooks’ monthly active users rose to 2.07 billion!
In the past few years I have found myself journeying a significant amount of times; trips to visit family and friends, to university, adventuring to local cities, flying to weddings all around Europe and also to pursue a relationship. Often I look around the tube carriage, the bus or the plane and see everyone’s head buried in a phone or their ears consumed with headphones. Some days I am also one of those people. I find myself exhausted and I just want to zone out and have some ‘me’ time. I find myself aimlessly scrolling through Instagram looking at the best part of people’s lives which they post or watching a TV series on Netflix. Does this resonate with you too?
I wonder if Jesus was living in this generation what he would do if he was travelling. Would he be so involved in his phone that he wouldn’t see the old lady struggling to carry her suitcase up the steps? Would he be so interested in the latest episode of his favourite TV programme that he didn’t see the pregnant lady on the tube who needed a priority seat? Would Jesus have no time to speak to anyone and miss opportunities to tell about the love of His Father? Somehow I highly doubt it! But I feel this is so often how we can be when we are travelling; head-down, inward focused with no time for others.
We must miss so many great opportunities when we travel, to demonstrate the love of God with our actions or speak about who God is and what Jesus has done for us on the cross! How intentional are you being when you travel? I know that I could definitely be more intentional; so I’ve created a small list of things which, if you feel like me, could really help us as we strive to be more intentional.
1. Turn off Social Media- Let’s not allow social media steal away our time to share our faith in our day to day journeys. Maybe turn of your internet or your phone.
2. Pray for opportunities to present themselves- To speak to others or demonstrate God’s love, before you travel and whilst travelling. Ask God to guide our steps and our words and to put people in our path that we can talk too.
3. Be intentional and invest our time- If we do find ourselves conversing with another commuter or traveller let us be sensitive yet intentional in sharing our faith too. Let’s really listen to the other person and his/her story.
4. Learn to be more present- One of the side effects of the digital age is that we are constantly distracted, never fully present, thinking about the next thing we are going to do. When we are talking to others let’s make them feel like we are really listening to them, we really care about what they have to say and our minds aren’t drifting.
5. Practise Authenticity- As Christians sometimes we can put on a façade and it can be a false representation of how we are really feeling. We can forget that it’s okay to not always be strong or in control and to admit weakness or challenges that we are facing. When we are sharing let’s ask God for more authenticity because when we are authentic, honest and real with others that is when individuals can relate to us the most. Life won’t always be dandy and fine; we will all have times when we are tempted, when life gets difficult and when we are presented with many challenges. However, we know as Christians that our testimonies can be really integral in a person’s journey to faith and that our faith can grow stronger as a result of perseverance and trust in God. Let’s start being more human and more honest with ourselves, family and friends and then when we meet others that we don’t know it will be a lot easier to be vulnerable.
6. Read a Christian book or the Bible- This is so simple yet it can be so powerful! I have found often that reading in my lunch breaks or reading on the train has struck up some great conversations, especially when it’s a Christian book or I’m reading the Bible on my phone app.
7. Smile more! I know that when I’ve been smiled at in the past by a random passer-by my outlook on what I am doing or my mood changes in a positive way! You never know who may be needing a friendly boost of positivity in their life and smiling is a natural mood booster! You never know it may strike up a conversation too to share about our faith.
I think Jesus would be super intentional if he journeyed in this day and age. We can look back to the Gospels for so many great examples of Him having time for others, stopping and striking up a conversation. Let us not hesitate to do the same!
God has commanded us to “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
God loves it when we share our story and we give Him the glory and praise He deserves! Let us be bold and intentional, asking God for opportunities and the courage to share.