To all my my techie Christian friends who are reading this, I will apologize now. This is probably not going to be the train of thought you were interested in but I do you hope you will read it through to the end. I believe there is valuable knowledge we can all gain by looking at something from a different perspective.
I am one of the most technologically challenged people I know. My 90+ year old Granny even has a better grasp of social media at times than I do, if that tells you anything. When new apps, new phones and new gadgets come out, I am not an early adopter by any means. In fact I drag my feet and avoid updates as long as possible.
Why, you might ask? Learning new systems, platforms, routines and features is almost always challenging and sometimes even really difficult. Not to mention time consuming. Why can’t I just skim over what’s on my device and know how to use it all? Why is it all so hard to understand? Please tell me I’m not the only one who feels this way.
I’m just now upgrading my SE phone to an XR, which has recently been discontinued. I already know as I write this that many of you reading it are shaking your head. But really, I thought technology was supposed make life easier and save time. I’ve never found that to be true…… UNTIL I take the time to do the work of learning what my devices and programs are capable of.
As long as I never invest time in discovering the purpose of the features that the designer has included on my phone or tablet or laptop, I will under-utilize them. I will skip over them no matter how much they might be helpful, just to use what is familiar and easy; just to save myself time and effort. I have to make a habit of exploring and using the technology at my fingertips for it to feel natural and become a resource I am comfortable using.
And here is where my thoughts about technology and the Gospel intersect. There are so many things written in the Bible that we will never understand at a glance. We’re taught that the Bible will make our lives easier, but just like my experiences with technology, it takes time and effort for that to be true.
How often do we hesitate to pick up the Word of God, or neglect it entirely, because we feel like we don’t have time to slow down and learn? We often rely on what we know and fall back on routines and habits to carry us through our day rather than investing effort into learning the purposes of what is presented to us in the Bible. It’s a process that takes diligence, we can’t just speed read it and expect to understand it in its entirety. Intentional study and effort are required.
Once we’ve made the commitment to learning the principles of the Lord by daily reading and examining His word and made a practice of using those principles, what we learn will become our new habit and routine. And while our new mode of operation may not always make life itself easier, it will make it easier to walk with God through those difficult situations.
Please don’t approach the Word of God the way I do technology. Adopt the new to you timeless principles of the Word of God as soon as you learn them. Put them into practice and ask the Lord to open up both your desire to be in His word and your ability to understand what He is speaking to you through it. Continually seek to understand His word on a deeper and deeper level.
Thoughts or comments? I’d love to hear them! And always it would be an honor to pray for you, leave me a comment or send me an email.
