“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott

I have a temperamental TV. It’s a 55-inch Roku and relatively new, but about once a month it either loses its internet connection or hangs up while loading a streaming service. Occasionally, it throws up error message 140.30, whatever that means. For whatever reason, it just stops working.

Our Verizon internet service is the same way. We have a little white box that connects directly to a cell phone tower—no ethernet, no cables, very simple. It sits quietly on the windowsill and hums along for weeks on end. It works great, until it doesn’t. Usually, the kids are the first to notice it. “The internet’s down!” Someone bellows from one of the upstairs bedrooms. Sometimes the little light on the unit turns yellow, but more often than not, it just… stops.

I’m sure you’ve had an experience like that before—an appliance, computer, or electronic gadget stops working; or it starts to bog down, getting slower and slower; or fritzes out and starts malfunctioning in some crazy way.

For our TV and internet, there’s a simple solution: unplug it, count to 10, and plug it back in. The systems reboot, and everything’s good to go for another month. Some might consider this a hack solution for the non-tech-savvy. But on both the Roku and Verizon websites, “unplug the power cable, wait for a minute and then plug it back in” is listed early in the troubleshooting section. So, it’s official. A way to fix technology is to give it a little rest. I’ve met people who work for computer helplines, and one of the first things they ask when they have a client on the line is, “Is the unit plugged in?” and “Have you tried to reboot it?”

What a crazy world we live in when even our electronic devices can’t keep up with the pace of modern life.

Of course, you see where this is going. If our electronic devices benefit from being unplugged regularly, how much more the human soul?

When I was a kid, raised in the church and a Christian school, it was drilled into our heads to have a “time of devotion” or “quiet time” EVERY MORNING. At the time, it felt a little legalistic—like you were sinning or God was unhappy if you didn’t read your Bible and pray every single day. I don’t think that was the intent, but what was designed to be a joy and life-giving ended up being guilt inducing.

But as I’ve matured in my faith and the pace of life around me continues to get faster, I see the wisdom of establishing a structured daily quiet time. Now, I see my time with God as a blessing and essential discipline. It’s not a duty, it’s an invitation! “Unplug and reboot” is what my spiritual operating system needs to function at the level life demands. If I don’t take time to regularly unplug and realign myself with God, my thinking starts to go crooked, temptation becomes stronger, and I’m much more likely to run off the rails. Taking and making time to sit with God daily is part of abiding in Christ and staying connected to the Vine (John 15:4-5).

Do you have a daily discipline of unplugging and rebooting? So many people think they are too busy to take the time, when in fact they are too busy NOT to take time. If you find yourself spiritually disconnected, distracted, or defeated, maybe it’s time to consistently unplug and reboot.

If you’re new to this, it’s hard to know where to start. The Bible’s a big book and at times difficult to understand. And learning to pray and listen for God’s voice takes time and practice. But the good news is, there are dozens of apps, email lists, and devotional books available out there. With just a click of a button, you can have a simple, practical, structured devotional time waiting for you every single morning on your phone or device. All you need to do, then, is make the decision to STOP, UNPLUG and REBOOT.

If you’re old school like me, you might focus better and retain more by reading a physical book. That’s why I carry around that big black Bible on Sunday. It’s not to look holy—it’s just what works best for me. And I’ve found I’m much more likely to read something that sits around as a physical reminder than a screen that I can easily ignore.

How about you?  If you’re new or newer to the faith or have never really engaged in a spiritual discipline (or haven’t in a long time), we want to help you.

At the church, we’ve just ordered and received 25 copies of “Our Daily Bread” devotional booklets. Each day has a Bible passage to read, an accompanying short devotional, a thought question, and a prayer prompt. Each devo is dated so you can keep track and new ones will be delivered to the church for you to pick up at the beginning of every quarter. It’s a great place to start. Pick up a copy in the lobby at the church resource board right next to the mailboxes. If you prefer, you can get the devotionals via email, text, or video by signing up at the website link above.

And if you’re an old hand at “unplugging and rebooting”, share your advice in the comment section below. How do you structure your quiet time and what resources would you recommend?

“Unplug and Reboot” is not just your two weeks of vacation time.  Spiritually, it is available any day and every day.