Why You Check Your Phone 96 Times a Day—and the Biblical System That Breaks the Cycleಮಾದರಿ

The rich young ruler walked away sad because he couldn't give up his wealth. Today, we're walking away from God's best because we can't give up our screens.

Jesus didn't ask the young man to sell his possessions because money was evil. He exposed what had captured the man's heart. The man's treasure had become his master.

Fast-forward 2,000 years. Jesus isn't asking you to sell your phone, but He might be asking: "What has captured your heart? What demands your attention more than I do?"

The average smartphone user spends over 7 hours a day looking at screens. That's more time than most people spend sleeping. We wake up and immediately check our phones. We go to bed scrolling. We interrupt conversations, meals, and even prayer to respond to digital demands.

We've created golden calves out of glowing rectangles.

The rich young ruler's wealth wasn't the problem—his attachment to it was. Your phone isn't the problem—your inability to put it down might be.

Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." In our digital age, we might ask: "Where your attention goes, there your heart will follow."

Are you treasuring the endless scroll more than the eternal Word? Are you more concerned with your social media image than your spiritual growth? Are you more faithful to your notification alerts than to God's still, small voice?

The rich young ruler had to choose between his possessions and Jesus. You have to choose between your distractions and your devotion.

But when you loosen your grip on what's temporary, you free your hands to receive what's eternal. When you guard your attention for God, you discover the abundant life He's been offering all along.

So, what digital possession might Jesus be asking you to "sell" today? What notification might you need to silence to hear His voice more clearly?