What we choose as our priorities and how we spend our time each day speaks volumes about who we are. We are often proud of our work, our families, and our communities, who all get a share of our time. And one thing we can say about most people living now is that we are all well-connected…at least digitally.

In fact, did you know that the average person spends about 90 minutes per day on their cell phone? Maybe this doesn’t seem like a lot, especially considering how many hours we have in each day. But when you calculate that number into the average person’s life, it amounts to 23 days per year and almost 4 years of their entire life.*

This data shows where many of us hold our priorities. Whether we use it to communicate, to surf the web or to play games, our phones take up a lot of our time. But is this the most effective use of our time?

Jesus tells us that our main priority in life is to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else” (see Matthew 6:33). We live in a culture where it’s easy to have multiple, conflicting priorities, especially when technology makes it easy for us to accomplish many tasks very quickly. But should that incoming text, call or notification become a priority?

Knowing when to say “no” helps shape our priorities to align with God’s will for us. He wants us to have a rich and satisfying life, to build on the talents and gifts He’s given us and to remember that He has created us to be His masterpiece.

God has given us all the same amount of time in each day to fulfill His purpose. When we say “no” to anything that makes our time less fulfilling, less effective and less opportunistic, we can take one step closer to doing “the good things He planned for us long ago” (see Ephesians 2:10).

What’s one thing you need to say “no” to? Know that I’m praying for you as you contemplate the answer.

In Christ,

Jeff

*Source: http://www.mobilestatistics.com/mobile-news/23-days-a-year-spent-on-your-phone.aspx