In today’s culture, one of the top ways we retrieve information is through our cell phones. But what we don’t realize is that our phones often tell us myths about who we are and what our place is in the world.
Cultural commentator Trevin Wax reminds us of the importance of being intentional with them.
“First, I want to say there’s a lot about the phone that’s a blessing. I think about my Fitbit App that tells me how much I’ve been walking in a given day and it helps me stay in shape. You think about the apps that help you know what the weather is going to be, Bible apps, etc. and the ease in which we can communicate in text and email. I think a lot of these are wonderful innovations and technological advances.”
“We’ve got to be thinking intentionally about our phones today because we just spend so much time on them. The phone is something that’s very close to us, especially if we have a smartphone that has all sorts of apps.”
Our phones can be a blessing, but they can also be a burden along our walk as a Christian. Trevin says that we’ve got to do some serious thinking about the time we spend on our phones, and really consider our habits with an intentional perspective.
“The fact is that we are so connected all the time to our phones. Many of us find it difficult to not be checking our phones constantly; whether or not it’s because we’re spending endless hours playing Candy Crush or these kinds of mindless games, or it could be the fact that we’re always scrolling through Instagram, Twitter or Facebook; liking things and commenting on things.”
Trevin says that while these activities may be entertaining, they can shape us and influence our minds and hearts in a negative way.
“I’m not saying that those things are necessarily bad, but if we’re not intentional about the way we use our phones, our phones are going to wind up running us. They will control us.”
“I’m really pushing Christians to think more deeply about our relationships to our phones and what our phones are doing to us.”
While cell phones may be helpful for us in the 21st century, we need to be intentional to limit the amount of time we spend with them in order to maintain a healthy perspective of who we are in Christ.
Trevin Wax is Bible and Reference Publisher for LifeWay Christian Resources and publisher for the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) Translation. He currently hosts a blog at The Gospel Coalition. Trevin is author of several books including .
Is your smartphone controlling you?
