When you own a smart phone, it provides amazing technology that makes information easy; possibly too easy. I must admit I enjoy the various “apps” I can add to my I-Phone. There’s one for the weather, quickly able to access a radar screen to see where bad weather is moving. There’s one for ESPN so you can get an immediate update on sports scores and activity (there’s even the ability during baseball season to watch pitch by pitch where the ball is within the strike zone, on a visual display). There’s an app for Facebook, of course. I have another for my 401(k) and can check the balance of funds anytime. There’s another for our bank. There’s one I use for USA Today or Fox News to check what’s going on in the world. And, I also have a great Bible app on my phone, where I can quickly change versions, highlight text, etc.
Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? But have you ever heard the phrase “information overload”?
Our culture is inundated with technology that provides information; all kinds of information. At a quick click you can access porn sights, for example, so there’s plenty of negative stuff out there too. Of course all of these sites that are free parade advertisements past you constantly trying to get you to bite. And even if it’s generally positive stuff, it absorbs time. Unless we manage our time well, that becomes a problem in itself in terms of Christian stewardship.
When we have too much information we tend to gloss over it and don’t pay enough attention to the important things. I peruse the local paper every day, but my focus tends to wander to the trivial stuff (like the funnies) and I often miss the murder on page one. How did I do that? Lack of focus. Too much info and I gravitate to what appeals, rather than to what is meaningful.
If we are Christians, disciples of Christ (same thing), that must mean something in terms of how we live: the choices we make, the values we adopt, the activities we pursue, the character we develop, the service we provide. We need focus! Is there an app for that?
Indeed! There are two: the Bible, and the church. The Bible is a collection of inspired manuscripts written by men who were linked to God in history, providing God’s values and expectations, providing stories of human victory and failure to walk God’s way. It’s a very honest book, documenting the sins of its heroes just as it documents their successes. Ultimately God is the hero! This collection of books leads us to Jesus Christ and the salvation he provides through his sacrifice for our sins, which can be accessed by faith, as we make Jesus Lord. The church is a resource where the mature can help school the immature, where we all remember and learn, where we seek to make the Bible teaching real in our life. Read the Bible, participate in church, make application.
Distractions? There are many. Don’t let modern technology rule. Access God’s apps!