Day 11 — Don’t Disappear

“He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound judgment.”

— Proverbs 18:1 (BSB)

Screens can be a great way to connect with friends. You can play games together, even if you live far apart. You can message your grandparents. You can video-chat with cousins.

But screens can also do the opposite. They can make you disappear.

Have you ever been in the same room with your family, but everybody is staring at a different screen? Or skipped playing outside because you’d rather stay in and game? Or hidden in your room for hours instead of hanging out with people?

Proverbs warns about this: “He who isolates himself pursues selfish desires.” To isolate means to cut yourself off from others. When you spend too much time alone, just doing what you want, you can become selfish. Everything starts to be about you and what you want.

And the verse says the isolated guy “rebels against all sound judgment.” In other words, when you pull away from people, you lose the good advice, the correction and the wisdom that come from them.

God didn’t make you to live alone in a room with a screen. He made you for people: family, friends, church and teammates. Real life happens face to face: laughing at dinner, playing ball in the yard, building something with your dad, talking with a friend on a walk, sitting with your grandma.

Online friends can be fine, but they’re not the same as real-life friends who can see your face, notice when something’s wrong, and be there for you.

Here are some ways not to disappear:

• Put devices away at meals. Talk with your family.
• Play outside or do something active with friends.
• Say yes when your family invites you to do something.
• Invite a friend over to do something that isn’t on a screen.
• Notice when you’re hiding. If you’re spending a lot of time alone because you feel sad or lonely, tell a parent or a trusted adult.

Think about it: Do screens help you connect with people, or help you disappear from them? How do you know?

Try this: Spend time face to face with someone today, with no screens involved.

Dear God, thank You for the people You’ve put in my life. Help me not to disappear into screens and isolate myself. Help me be present with my family and friends, and enjoy real life with them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.