2002-08-12 - Modern Communication

2 Corinthians 10:10 "For they say, 'His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive, and his speech contemptible.'"

It is amazing how communication has changed over the years. Today marks the 42 anniversary of NASA launching Echo I, which was the first telecommunications satellite. Think about how much things have changed since then. Communication is ever changing. We have become a society that is, "in touch." This has many advantages, but it also comes with a host of perils also.

It is hard to have solitude when you can be reached at any time. How can we have uninterrupted quite prayer times or devotional times with the Lord if we become constantly available through our cell phones? I know that there are only two hours a week when my cell phone is turned off. On Sundays I turn it off at the call to worship and back on right after the benediction. Other than that, anyone who has my number can reach me, at any time, for any reason. Has this "convenience" enhanced my life? No, quite frankly, it is more of a nuisance than a help.

Communication has also changed via the Internet and E-mail systems. We can now interact with someone 7000 miles away as easily as we can with our next door neighbor. This can be a great advantage, but it can also steal time from things that are of greater significance. It is easy to get caught up in things that are earthly. E-mail and the Internet are not evil in themselves, but if they take time awayfrom our pursuits of godliness or seeking God's face and His will in our lives, then they have become a crutch that holds us back.

We need to ask ourselves how this communication revolution has aided in our walk with Christ. Does this business of the world hinder our ability to find time to spend in God's Word? Is there any time left for us to pray? Do we have the mental fortitude, when we have finished interacting with the world, to develop a faith that is deeper than the Left Behind series -- a life of godliness and piety? We need to ask ourselves these things.

In some respects the telecommunications revolution has given new meaning to 2 Timothy 4:3, where it speaks about those who want to have their ears tickled. Now we do it with phones also. Or maybe we feel that we need to be like the man from Gath who had extra fingers (2 Samuel 20:21) so we can type faster. These things are not what a life of godliness is about. Christ says that He, "Chose us out of the world," (John 15:19) and part of that is using the elements that the world has to our advantage as we seek to serve Him and grow in His grace. However, if the world seduces us and we become worldly then we have ceased to use these things wisely. We have then become victims of what should be to our advantage.

I'm not suggesting that you cancel your ISP, or flush your cell phone, but rather seek to use these things to your advantage in your walk with Christ. Don't let them become a hindrance that so eats away at your time that the Lord is slowly squeezed out of your life. Let them benefit you rather than allow yourself to be taken advantage of by them. Let nothing stand between you and the Lord you serve. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon," Matthew 6:24.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

tim@cfdevotionals.org
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