Summer break is in full swing for many teenagers, which means more time in their schedules to indulge in screen time. According to the Nola Research Group, at least half of Generation Z (age 22 and under) will be online as much as a whopping ten hours a day! This amount of screen time isn’t healthy for us physically, mentally or emotionally. In fact, the less time teens spend online, the more they report feeling happier and less anxious and depressed. Perhaps this is because God designed us to be physically aware and engaged with life around us.

Enjoying God’s gift

Screen time isn’t evil, but too much of it can easily lead to bad habits that keep us from being physically present in our world. God gave us nature as a gift to enjoy, but it’s also an essential for good health to be connected with nature. Studies prove that even just 20 minutes of contact with nature reduces our stress level.

Taking in God’s beauty

When is the last time you slowed down while outdoors, smelled the flowers, felt the warmth of the sun, stared at the sky and focused on the feeling of the wind against your skin? There’s a big difference between simply being outside and actually engaging with nature. Meditating on nature, studying creation and noticing the details reveals truths about how God engages with our world.

Throughout Scripture, people would focus on and soak up the natural beauty around them as a way to praise and glorify the Lord. We also see examples of Jesus using nature to teach lessons to people or to reveal godly characteristics to humanity. One way for people to learn about their Creator is to get beyond the church walls and into nature. This summer let’s focus on unplugging from technology, turning off our screens and engaging with the natural world God created for us.

Question of the day: What parts of nature take your breath away?
Focal scriptures: Job 37:14-24; 38; Psalm 19; Philippians 4:4-9

For a complete lesson on this topic visit LinC.