Bandwidth: A Brief Blog
We’ve all experienced it. The internet slows waaaaaaaaay down. It’s not working like it usually does. There it is: the “spinning wheel of death” or maybe worse: the dreaded “Loading…”
Every internet connection has a certain amount of bandwidth. How much data can be carried through at one time. When it gets full, no more can get through. Bandwidth is often referred to as “the size of the pipe” and when it’s full, no more can flow through. Period.
We all have bandwidth. Some of us have more, some have less. But the reality is we all have a certain bandwidth. There are 168 hours in a week. No more. You can’t buy more. You can’t upgrade. You can’t change that. Ever.
Bandwidth is something that I’ve been thinking about for a while now. I’ve come to realize that it’s not healthy to continually run at maximum bandwidth. It’s far too easy to rapidly, and almost robotically move from one thing to the next, adding something new and never taking something else away. Trying to get more water to flow through the pipe.
I think most of us are busier than we should be. We’re overworked, super-stressed, and often spiritually malnourished. We tend to exceed our bandwidth capacity. Maybe we overload the time category, emotional, mental, even the physical. I think “spiritual bandwidth” is a category as well.
Jesus Himself addresses this issue. When He went to the home of Mary and Martha, He said to an over-busy Martha in Luke 10:41-42, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
We need to devote more time to being “seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word” rather than running around always doing. We need more time to pursue authentic relationships over coffee, having our brothers and sisters in Christ over for dinner, or simply spending time together with family or friends.
At Coram Deo, you’ll hear the phrase simplicity of schedule and structure. We pursue this principle because of bandwidth. We’ve all become too busy in our modern lives. There’s always something competing for a spot on our schedule or to-to list. We need to slow down.
Our church schedule is an intentional rhythm of worship, discipleship, and community. We want our DNA to be formed so that we have space to pursue organic community, engage in mentoring and one-on-one discipleship, serve our neighbors, and sit at the Lord’s feet.
As you move through this week, think about the many different things making demands of your bandwidth. What changes do you need to make to keep some bandwidth available? You don’t need to fill every single minute of the day with something. Think through the priorities the Lord would have you pursue, and order your week accordingly.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Rob Signs