multitasking today

NB: I wrote this last year for the church bulletin as I was doing my pastoral internship... Digging it out was an apt reminder for me today.

Gone are the days when we had time. Today, the tables have turned: Time has us. Time has us eating out of her hands. We are afraid to lose her.

The pace of life in the modern world is increasing at an alarming rate. Productivity is most highly esteemed in the corporate world. No longer can we take an undisturbed stroll anywhere without being bombarded by advertisements, posters, push notifications, text messages, phone calls etc. We are possibly doing more per minute than any other point of time in history, and this surely is a result of the advancement of technology and the convenience of connectivity that comes with it.

Connectivity makes us easily reached via mobile phones for work, for play, for personal contact. Connectivity pushes us to check our emails on our smart phones on the go, not only because we want to, but with connectivity, people also expect us to. High-speed connectivity allows us to do multi-tab browsing on the Internet, and multi-tab browsing means surfing more sites at a time, which in turn implies that we can do more work at the same time! The list goes on.

As much as we are ever increasing in our output, is multitasking a bane, a boon or both?

There are plenty of facades to this discussion, but there is one essential thing as a Christian that I can think of that multitasking definitely affects: Prayer.

Trevor Lee, in his article on ChristianityToday.com, has this to say:

“We are left uninspired and wanting because we are not completely present with God when we pray. We thank God for the food we’re about to consume, but our thoughts regress to the meeting we had that afternoon. We ask God to protect our kids while we ponder how to survive until the next paycheck. We sit down to listen to God and our mind wanders uncontrollably. We lack the ability or discipline to be truly present with God in prayer…

…Our culture has trained our minds to wander.”

How can we fully engage anyone if we do not give our full attention? Has it become such that the more enabled we are, the more disabled we become from having meaningful conversation with the Lord?

“The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.” – C.S. Lewis

We are in a world that says that not multitasking is wasting time. Yet when in prayer, we waste time when we multitask. We waste precious opportunities to deepen our prayer life with God if we do not take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor 10:5), instead allowing the unwanted ones distract us as we communicate with Him.

As one growing up in the technology generation, I find myself naturally adept at multitasking. Yet it scares me when I realise how many things I can think and do at the same time, but actually accomplish nothing. It is a paradox to be doers of much, yet none at all.

It is an even scarier thought that we may think we are trying to talk to­­ God – but are missing out on the true expression of it.

[41] But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, [42] but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42 ESV)

Which portion shall you choose, and will you make conscious effort to focus, communicate and listen to the voice of Jesus?