What is the first thing you reach for when you wake up in the morning—and the last thing you look at before falling asleep?
For Christian content creator Gabe Bult, the answer to that question may reveal far more about our spiritual lives than we realize.
“If it’s your phone, you’re worshiping your phone,” Bult said during a recent interview with Charisma. “If it’s God, you’re praying and reading the Bible first and last thing.”
It is a startling warning in a culture practically drowning in digital noise. Phones buzz. Social media scrolls endlessly. Advertisements follow us everywhere. And somewhere in the middle of all that consumption, Bult believes we may be losing sight of what God actually created us to do.
“We consume food, we consume clothes, we consume media, we consume everything,” Bult said. “And we feel super unfulfilled.”
Bult knows something about changing direction.
The 30-year-old creator, known for content surrounding minimalism, finances and intentional living, told Charisma that although he grew up in a Christian household, he walked away from the Lord during his teenage years. After years of searching for meaning and purpose, conversations with his future wife and a missionary uncle eventually forced him to confront the gospel for himself.
“I realized that I needed a savior,” Bult said.
He accepted Christ, married shortly afterward and began a spiritual journey that would ultimately influence the content he creates today.
And that includes money.
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Bult believes Christians need to stop treating finances as though they exist in some separate, spiritually neutral category of life. After all, people spend enormous portions of their lives earning money.
“Money is your life,” Bult said. “You’re giving your boss a little piece of your life.”
That is why he argues financial stewardship isn’t simply about accumulating wealth. Handling money wisely can potentially free up time to be with family, serve at church, help others and give generously.
Bult points to the parable of the talents as one biblical picture of this responsibility. The servant condemned in the parable wasn’t rebuked for losing everything through reckless action; he failed to use what had been entrusted to him.
“What are you doing with that?” Bult asked.
The question reaches far beyond a bank account.
What are Christians doing with their money? Their abilities? Their time? Their creativity? Their attention?
Bult believes part of today’s emptiness comes from spending far too much time consuming and not enough time creating, working and using what God has placed inside us. He points back to Genesis: God is revealed as Creator, humanity is made in His image and work itself appears before the fall.
For Bult, fighting back has become intensely practical.
After noticing that short-form content was leaving him distracted and unmotivated, he switched his phone to grayscale, cleared most apps from his home screen, removed social media and began a digital detox from short-form content.
More importantly, he began prioritizing Scripture and prayer over reaching for his phone.
“I’m still reading the Bible every morning,” Bult said. “I’ve been praying or reading the Bible before I touch my phone.”
Perhaps that’s the challenge Christians need in an age designed to capture every spare second of our attention.
Before scrolling, seek.
Before consuming, create.
And before giving the world your attention, give God your first.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
