In his book Present Shock, media
expert Douglas Rushkoff argues that the competition for our attention is fierce. Rushkoff writes,
Back in the mid-1990s, Wired
magazine announced to the world that although digital real estate was infinite, human attention was finite.... [So] sticky websites were designed to keep eyeballs glued to particular spots on the Internet.... In a world where attention is the new commodity, it is no surprise that ... [since 1997] Ritalin prescriptions have gone up
tenfold.
College students and younger
professionals [also] now use Ritalin and another form of speed, Adderall, as "cognitive enhancers." Just as professional athletes may use steroids to boost their performance, stockbrokers and finals takers can gain an edge over their competitors and move higher up on the curve .... These drugs are cognitive accelerators .... They push on the gas pedal of the mind, creating momentum to carry a person through from task to task, barreling over what may seem like gaps ... at a slower
pace.
Is it any wonder that we live in a
frantic world, where people (at times,) almost seem like robots, running from one task to the next?
God calls us
away!
Many people are now coming back to an age-old,
time-tested principle that is bringing sanity back into the lives of frantic people everywhere.
It's simply called The Sabbath.
I won't mince words today.
The Sabbath is a commandment, it's NOT a suggestion (Please see Exodus 20:8-11). God knows that we need time away from it all, and to spend dedicated time with our families, and with Him...away from the frenetic pace that the rest of the world calls "normal."
Rest is a good thing, and God
has a plan.
Have a great day and God
bless!
Pastor Mike / The Open Word