Have you ever day-dreamed about what life would be like without the modern conveniences we take for granted, before cell phones, personal computers, social media, GPS or Apple CarPlay, wireless internet?

Like most of you, I’ve come to rely on a lot of these perks of contemporary life. In fact, many of the things that were once a luxury seem like a necessity. That can’t be good, can it?

Our kids are having to reckon with these issues (and it’s hilarious): The Texas legislature just passed a law banning cell phones from public school classrooms throughout the state.

I have to make an effort to sympathize. While we have been slower than most in allowing our children to have access to technology, the truth is that smartphones are a part of their life and have been since before they can remember. They’ve asked, “What if I need to get a hold of you during the day?” “What if there is an emergency at the school and I can’t call you?” “What if one of the coaches changes the game or practice schedule at the last minute?”

It's not going to be convenient; that’s for sure. But many thoughtful leaders have begun to realize the negative impact a shiny pocket-sized screen can have on a child’s development. The costs are not worth the benefits. Maybe we should have paid attention when tech entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs said that they limit the influence of technology for their own children while shipping thousands of devices to the children of others.

Our teachers and administrators will have a challenging task to ensure compliance with the law, but I truly believe our kids will be better off in the long run.

Yet, what about the rest of us? Are we aware of how our phones are affecting us? I’m sure some of you can carry a smart phone around, get a little benefit, and avoid the risks. But most of us aren’t that way. Smartphones and other tech have a way of taking over our lives and even high-jacking the way our brains work. And if that’s true of smartphones, isn’t it also true of earlier technologies we’ve come to accept as a normal part of life (like television or radio)?

Think about “the news” for example. At some point along the way, I came the conclusion that I needed to know what was going on at any given time throughout the world. I insisted on learning about every notable event and hearing multiple perspectives on each of them. If I go a couple days without checking “the news” on Twitter or some other platform, I feel like I’m missing something essential. But is that really true? Is devoting my energy to “the news” always the best stewardship of the 24 short hours I have every day of my short life? What am I missing out on when I invest that kind of time in “the news”?

The fact is that what passes for “news” is often either none of my business, completely outside of my control, or so banal as to be unworthy of a moment’s thought. Only a tiny percentage merits my attention at all, let alone my immediate attention.

Consider how smartphones, cable television, and other technologies have helped to shape these expectations and desires, and not for the better. And that’s just one example of the massive sea change that has taken place in our lifetime—all sort of by accident—as we’ve adopted and adapted to new technology.

None of these realities take our God by surprise. The Scriptures that were relevant and sufficient a hundred years ago are just as applicable today, in spite of the presence of technologies that the Bible’s human authors could never have imagined.

But our Enemy is paying attention too. He and his scheming foot soldiers in the spiritual realm are attempting—often with great success—to use these devices to gain a foothold in our lives and neutralize the efforts of the body of Christ. Will we be wise enough to spot his strategies? Are we willing to walk in obedience to Christ when doing so makes us different from the world?

For the next several weeks, I’ll be teaching an Equipping Class called 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You, based in large part on Tony Reinke’s book by the same title. I know I personally need to apply God’s word to this area of my life, and perhaps you do too. If you’re not participating in another class, I hope you’ll take the time to join me at 9:30am beginning this Sunday, July 6.

We’ve got other options too, and of course Sunday School for the kids. Join us this Sunday at 9:30am!

Grace and peace,
Pastor Jake