We live in a world of constant distractions. Technology has placed a wealth of information at our fingertips, and with the advent of smartphones, we are never truly disconnected. As we focus on these seemingly harmless distractions, one thing tends to fall by the wayside: our relationship with God

This probably seems obvious. Sure, the more we focus on worldly things, the less we focus on God--we know this. But what steps do we take to actively focus on God? The good news is that you don’t have to run to your computer and delete all of your social media accounts. All it takes is a little time each day to make a huge difference in your walk with God.

A great example of this is music. I may not be huge into social media, but I love music. Ever since I was a teenager, every mundane task been made tolerable by popping in my headphones or turning up the radio. It’s not even secular music--a vast majority of it is positive, uplifting stuff. But one day, as I turned up the car radio for a trip to town, I realized something.

Listening to music allowed my mind to simply shut off for a little while. It was a means of escape for me, from having any real, contemplative thoughts. I then thought back to how much of my free time was spent listening to music, and... It was a lot. The thought hit me pretty hard, and I realized that this short, 15 minute drive, that I made nearly every day, was a perfect time to spend talking with God--and I had been missing it completely. I switched off the radio and started to pray. Since then, my morning commute has become a time for reflection and prayer, and I look forward to it every day.

Maybe your thing isn’t music. Maybe it’s television or social media or sports updates on your phone. None of these are necessarily bad things, but they consume our time to the point that at the end of the day, we’ve given God very little thought.

So the next time you’re tempted to pull out your phone--on the subway or in the doctor’s waiting room--leave it in your pocket a little longer, and just talk to God. Tell Him what’s going on, or something you’re thankful for. That’s all it takes, and you’ll find your relationship with Him growing in ways you never expected.