Done Scrolling, an Invitation to Renew

“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

*Originally written May 2023*

Photo by Malte Helmhold on Unsplash

As Ralph Waldo Emerson says, “Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” 

I’m done with Instagram. I’m done scrolling. I’m done with my phone. I turned off my phone and slammed it in the drawer. This was my third day of sick leave and my pink eye was taking too long to heal. I was frustrated. I was supposed to be with my students enjoying the last days of school. Instead, I was stuck in bed. 

PATTERN OF THIS WORLD

As I lay in bed, I felt empty. I put the baby down and rewarded myself with Instagram. It could cheer me up, right? But, it felt like everyone was screaming for my attention and it was not cheering me up. I saw pictures of products, reels of successful entrepreneurs, and videos of athletic moms. Maybe I do need another appliance. Maybe I’ll look better with a $142 moisturizer. Maybe this class will entertain me. I was getting irritated. My phone was supposed to be comforting; all these messages were overwhelming.

Little did I know that the content I was consuming was consuming my thoughts. 

My phone was an easy distraction. A distraction from a deeper aching in my heart. An ache to spend more time with my spouse, to enjoy time with my baby, to find fulfillment in something, rather Someone with eternal value. Instead, I was hyper-focused on earthly success. I wanted to do work people recognized, not change another diaper. I wanted to feel more important. I wanted motherhood to feel more fulfilling. 

I think Saul recognized this, as a famous religious leader, he readily conformed to the current patterns of the world. But, Saul was transformed from a religious zealot to a child of the King. He went from persecuting Christians to following Christ. A radical transformation. His mind was renewed. His actions were renewed. His identity was renewed. If Paul had an Instagram he’d probably unfollow a lot of people and a lot of people probably would unfollow him. Yes, transformation is painful, but so is stagnation.

RENEWING THE MIND

Finally, with the distractions put aside, I could focus on transforming my patterns of thinking. With my phone powered off, I could finally exhale. My phone made it way too easy for me to conform to the pattern of the world. Like a chameleon conforming to its environment, one slow change at a time. Instead, I could ask my Heavenly Father to transform me.

I wrote a letter to Him, asking for forgiveness, asking for help. I couldn’t do this on my own. So often I fall into harmful thinking patterns. It’s easy to go on auto-pilot and let thoughts rotate through until the baby cries or my spouse arrives home. 

But God can radically transform our minds. He’s the most important influencer of all. Sometimes I forget that my thoughts are sowing until I realize that I've produced rotten fruit. Instead, I can choose to renew my thoughts, through the only One who has the power to renew, to transform. For what I sow, that I will reap.