Take a moment and think about your average week; what does it look like? You’re probably on the go from one place to the next; your cell phone beeping and buzzing as you carry on about your day. Checking messages, returning calls, scrolling social media, scheduling doctors’ appointments, and making plans, to name a few. Your calendar is booked, and it’s quite possible you forgot to pencil in the most important appointment of all—the one with God.
This world sends you a whirlwind of input. The food that nourishes your soul, the music that fills your ears, the shows and movies that captivate your attention, and the company you keep—these choices profoundly shape who you are and can pull you away as you seek to grow closer to God. Tuning out the world is no easy task, but there are ways that we can tune Him IN instead. Here are four practical tools that can help you make Christ the center of your day:
1) Music/Audio
Listening to Christian music and radio programs is one impactful way we can stay close to Jesus. I enjoy Family Life Radio, found at 93.1 FM in the Metro Detroit area. This Christian station features uplifting content free from commercial influence and worldly fears. Supported by listener donations rather than advertising, Family Life Radio focuses not on what we lack, but on God’s grace and truth. Through music and commentary rooted in scriptural wisdom, this station provides a soothing sanctuary for the soul.
The sermons at Shepherd’s Gate, the church I attend, offer inspiration that get me through my week. I like to listen to sermons and other inspirational content on SermonAudio. Here you can watch or listen to recorded and live sermons – you can also search topics, dates, categories, and speakers to name a few! Sermon Audio is available at your app store for FREE!
2) Television/Streaming
While there aren’t a lot of television shows that are available relating to God or Christianity, there is one out now you can check out called The Chosen. This show streams on many platforms, most free with ads, is a television drama depicting the life of Jesus Christ and how He grew His discipleship. You can also check out PureFlix, a website and application for your mobile device that I found when I was looking for more ways I can tune Jesus IN. This is a paid subscription, but there are thousands of movies that are available to watch that will shine positivity and light into your soul.
If you really want to Tune IN to Jesus, you can turn off the television and open your Bible. Grab your family and instead of a movie night, try a Bible night! The Shirley Journey is a fun website where there’s Bible fun for the whole family. If you’re looking for something to try on your own, or with others, there are a couple of Bible walkthroughs I have used and have found helpful in my spiritual growth, these include Seeking Scripture and The Bible In A Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) found on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.
3) People
While there really isn’t too much that we can do about the people that we communicate with at work, school, or even just as we go about our day – we do have control over how we respond to people, places, and things. Getting caught in the whirlwind of emotions that can come with a bad experience such as being cut off while driving, getting into an argument with a loved one, doing something wrong at work, or something else of that nature is easy to do. But how do we come out of it? Or better yet, how do we not get to that level at all?
I wish I could tell you that this was an easy fix, but it is something that nobody can master, except the master Himself. We must continue to work at it. Some of the things that I have found helpful with controlling my emotions is surrounding myself with things that remind me of Jesus. The walls in my house are covered with scripture, phrases, photos, drawings, and a variety of other things that help me to see Jesus, even when my world feels like it is spinning out. The same is true with my car and my office at work (which is also illuminated with Christian music).
4) Bible Apps
There are plenty of apps that will send a push notification to pray or that will send you a daily scripture. You can read the Bible from whichever Bible version you choose, at websites like Bible Hub; which conveniently has an app on your mobile device as well. The application not only allows you to read the Bible, but you can also listen to a recording of someone reading the scripture as you follow along. The app offers insight to the definition of the Hebrew words being used, the context, where you can find that same word throughout the Bible, and so much more!
The more that you bring yourself to call on Jesus—during the good, the bad, and the ugly—the easier it becomes to do so without a thought. Where my mind would take me to worry or shame a few years back, my mind today is instead trained to seek His guidance first! This will take a lot of time and practice, but the more that you let Him in, the louder He speaks. When the world starts creeping into my thoughts, I lean into one of my favorite Bible verses, Philippians 4:6—’Don’t worry about anything. Instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.’
Starting today, live with the intention of giving everything to God. And when I say everything, I mean everything. Getting in the habit of bringing Him into every decision that you make will help you build new pathways in your consciousness where you immediately turn to Jesus instinctively instead of turning to worry or shame. Take one or more of the tools I’ve shared with you and get started on building an unbreakable bridge with God today.
