Technology & Discipleship

I know, I know, i need to be more consistent in posting these. Sorry for the long delay. Today however I wanted to look at technology and discipleship. It occurred to me that our kids will grow up never knowing life with commercials, without a remote control, a phone that has a chord attached, or many other devices I once knew or had to do without. This is the reality in which we live. I remember just a few years ago asking students to turn off their phones before speaking to them on Wednesday nights, so they wouldn't get phone calls that interrupt. Today the phones never ring, yet their heads rarely raise up do to the texting that is constent.

So what are we to do? Are we to be like our parents and explain to them how spoiled they are not to have the disadvantages we had as youth or children? Are we to refrain from utilizing the technology in protest, "I will never use .... it seems like such a waste!"? Are we to ring our hands in defeat? I think there is a better solution. I think we can use it to our benefit. Parents, our kids are growing up in the world. Jesus' prayer in John 17 was not for us to be removed from the world, but we be kept from the evil one. Now many people might attribute the rise of technology to the evil one, but I'm not sure that's sound.

So here is a challenge for us as parents. This morning I took my 8 year old daughter to a coffee shop. I pulled out my phone and used it to read the bible with her. We talked about the wages of sin, and the gift of God, and how God loved the world so much! She didn't blink. Her using my phone is an every day affair. She loves to play games on it. But now, I have modeled an even better use for it, God's word. Right at the tip of my fingers. Now I'm not suggesting everyone will need to do this exactly this way. But...we have to be meek as a dove, but wise as a serpent. The world system is evil and Satan would love to sift our kids away from the Father. Let's be faithful stewards of those things in which we have been blessed. Let's utilize all that is at our disposal to reach out to our children. Let's not be timid to do so, but bold in the Spirit of God to do things that might be uncomfortable for us, but for our kids is second nature.

This is a challenge no doubt, but our kids are worth it. The gospel is alive and exciting. God calls us to a dynamic relationship with His Son Jesus! Let's encourage our kids in every way to pursue the God who has so passionately pursued us!

Brandon