A Factory Reset for Your Soul

Blog by Gem Fadling

Awhile back I had a conversation with a group of people about spiritual practices and the need for refreshment and refilling. (As you can imagine, I talk about this a lot.) One of the people commented that this was all fine and good, but what about REAL life?

I’ve heard this remark many times, and I typically leave it alone. But more recently, whether I’m talking with an individual or a small group,  I’ve begun to pause the conversation to take a closer look at what “real” means.

I gently asked, “What is real?” And then I answered it myself. Our assumption is that real is what we experience in our everyday life as it is informed by our culture and beliefs. And yes, in a way that is real. I am living a real life with actual circumstances occurring around me every day.

But ultimately, as followers of Jesus, what is real takes on a whole new meaning. Reality with a capital R is determined by the Kingdom of God. The upside-down way of Jesus looks more like loving the unlovable, moving into solitude and prayer amidst the thronging crowds, healing the untouchables, and washing feet like a servant. This is a different and, I would argue, more central reality than the one peddled by today’s culture.

For the purposes of this discussion about reality, let’s linger on the kingdom practice of Jesus in which he “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16).

Here at Unhurried Living, we call this Unhurried Time with God. It might be better known as silence and solitude. Whatever you call it, making space for time like this is one of the most real things you will ever do. It is when you get to remember who you are. You get to lay down everything that ensnares or distracts you and simply be a child of God, holy and dearly loved.

Recently, I was sharing this idea with someone and heard myself using the phrase “factory settings for your soul.” I described it as a chance to reset and be cleared of all that had been building up inside me.

I then researched the meaning of “factory reset” in connection with computers. Here’s a quote from Joe Fedewa in his simple and informative post:

“A factory reset erases all user data, files, and settings from a device….The device is restored back to its “factory default” state so it can be set up again from scratch.”

I’ll try not to stretch this metaphor too far, but let’s look at this in terms of soul care.

Unhurried Time with God might erase all internal user data, files, and settings that build up over the course of any given month. I am restored back to my true self within the Kingdom of God so I can be set up from scratch again.

Of course, we don’t manage what happens to us as we set aside this kind of time. We simply make ourselves available to God in a listening posture. But even the simplicity of this can undo some of the “settings” that get added on in our day to day lives.

We are in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is within us. Returning us to factory settings is to reset back to Reality with a capital R. Remember the upside-down ways of Jesus? This is our Reality.

What is real is that we are chosen and dearly loved. What is real is that we can make time for what matters when it comes to God, relationships, and work. We have agency and we get to choose how to spend our time.

God is not trying to overwhelm us. Jesus says his yoke is easy and his burden is light. My real life should not feel like an insurmountable to-do list that I never get a handle on. And if it is, it might be good to reassess healthy boundaries and what I allow onto my calendar.

I know that now and then we all go through seasons in which circumstances are beyond our control. But that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about the assumptions we make about our everyday lives and what we consider to be real.

A factory reset for the soul is a helpful metaphor. Like any metaphor, it breaks down if you push it too far. But I still think the idea of returning home to my original state is a good one.

Making time to pull away from everything and everyone, even for just one hour, is greatly beneficial. Alone time in a receptive posture with God is one of the best ways to lay aside all the facades, control issues and other dynamics and actually rest.

I don’t have to be anything except a loved child of God, and I don’t have to do anything to earn that love. This is the ultimate reality. I return to my factory default as a beloved daughter. A beautiful reality.

Reflection 

• What would returning to factory settings look like for you?
• Take a moment to discern and then schedule time on your calendar for Unhurried Time with God. Yes, it is that practical. Without a plan, it surely won’t happen.
• Make it a priority to get in touch with Reality with a capital R.