Granger Smith Says Smartphones are Damaging Our Faith
Published: July 12, 2024
Smartphones: Blessing or Curse?
Former country artist Granger Smith is cautioning us against the overuse of smartphones, as they can draw our attention away from God.
“We live in a world that — this is the first time in the generations of the past — this is the first time in human history that we’ve dealt with this specific problem: being distracted by a metal rectangle that we keep in our pockets that’s constantly giving us notifications, that gives us complete access to the whole world and anything we might need from it at any given time, people reaching out to us and sending us down rabbit holes constantly all day,” Smith said in an episode of the “Granger Smith Podcast.”
He continued, “Our life is literally passing by and so much of it is glued to a screen looking at meaningless stuff.”
Setting Boundaries
Smith clarified that he was not calling for the complete removal of cell phones from our lives, as many people, including himself, have jobs that require them to be connected. However, he emphasized the importance of setting boundaries.
“We need to be aware that we are outside the will of God when we’ve become unconscious, which is why the Bible so many times speaks against being inebriated, being drunk,” he explained. “Why? Because when you’re inebriated, your mind is somewhere else. You can’t discern the will of God for your life without clarity in your mind.”
Smith continued, “Smartphones are constantly bombarding us with these notifications… drawing our attention away from God, and this kind of meaningless distraction makes it difficult to discern God’s will.”
From Music To Ministry
Smith left the country music industry last year to focus on ministry. Movieguide® previously reported on his transition:
Country star Granger Smith recently announced that he wants to pursue a new direction in life, becoming a pastor. Smith said he was “excited” about his decision to get more heavily involved with his local ministry.
“Being a musician was never a prison, but this is a new passion, a new focus, a new direction that I believe is going to allow me to focus more on individual people and their lives, which is ultimately why I started music touring in the very beginning,” he explained. “This is an even more micro-focused position in that. I’m not going anywhere.”
The Transition
He recently spoke about that shift from music to ministry in an interview with Life & Style.
“It’s definitely been a switch. I haven’t really slowed down timewise, but I still travel and do speaking things and I have a book out, so I’m kind of supporting that,” he shared. “So, but it’s very different than the 24 years of country music and I actually really love it. I really love it.”
He continued, “My life now is much more about today and when I go to sleep at night, I could think it was enough. As a country music singer, you could never think that. It’s always the next album or the next tour or the next single. And so now, when I’m going and doing speaking engagements, they don’t build upon each other. It was just today and I could say today was enough.”
New Beginnings
Smith is currently promoting his new children’s book, “Up Toward The Light.”
“Through a simple conversation between a boy and a tree, country-music star Granger Smith shares an incredibly powerful and deeply moving story filled with life lessons on loss, grief, and the strength gained in finding the light and the will to move forward with joy and purpose,”
As he navigates his new path, Smith’s insights on faith and technology resonate with many, offering a reminder to be mindful of how we engage with our devices and, ultimately, our lives.
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