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And that’s the truth of it, really. Our failure to control technology is driven by fear to the detriment of our faith and family.
We fear missing out on something, of being out of the loop. Consequently, we ignore the things that matter most because
that shiny screen promises something that feels better in the moment. One Tactic to Control Technology I don’t claim to
have mastered the use of technology, but I have learned a few useful techniques to help keep first things first.

One of them is to practice what I call a digital sabbath. [See my post “How to Take a Digital Sabbath”]
But here’s my challenge to you: designate On and Off times each day for your technology access. As each new day be-
gins, don’t let email, social, or news outlets determine your first thought of the day. All too often, we wake up and reach for
our phones like insects drawn inexorably to the light. Then we wonder why we feel burned out, negative, and reactionary.

You can choose your first thoughts of the day. Make them positive. [See my post “Do You Start the Day with God before
You?”] For me, as an entrepreneur, I’ve chosen not to check email or team communication channels until 9 AM each
day. The morning is protected for sharpening the saw, thinking, and writing. It takes faith not to check my email and trust
that, if I put first things first, God will supply my needs. Then choose a time each evening when you’ll put the phone away.
I choose to shut it down as I head to dinner with the family at 6 PM. Even on a night where I need to work more (the life of
an entrepreneur) I stay off email and focus on a specific task.

I find that when I set on/off times to access technology, I’m able to be more present with people, think deeper about life,
and be more intentional about living out my faith and calling. Some trust in chariots and some in smartphones and instant
email access, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. That doesn’t mean we don’t use those tools to fulfill our calling,
but we don’t make it our life calling to use those tools. If we don’t set boundaries on our access to technology, our faith will
suffer. Technology is a gift from God, given to help us fulfill His mission. Let’s treat it as such.

About Bill Blankschaen

Bill Blankschaen is a writer, author, and speaker who
empowers people to live an authentic life with abun-
dant faith. A former pastor, Christian school leader,
and master teacher, he is the founder of FaithWalkers
(Faithwalkers.com) where he equips Christians to live
an authentic life and a blogger on faith and cultural
issues at Patheos and TheResurgent.com. He is the au-
thor of several books including A Story Worth Telling:
Your Field Guide to Living an Authentic Life, What God
Wants You to Do Next, The Secret to Explosive Personal
Growth, and multiple collaborative books including his
latest with co-author Erick Erickson — You Will Be Made
to Care: The War on Faith, Family, and Your Freedom to
Believe (Regnery, February 22, 2016).