Mark Kelderman & Maarten Kuivenhoven
If you need to know something about a certain subject, the most common piece of advice is “Just Google it.” Google is a wonderful tool. We use it—a lot. But Google is not divine, nor is technology. So often in today’s fast-paced world of technology and development we lose sight of God. But one thing we cannot do is digitize God and reduce Him to a machine, a sound-byte, or a tweet. God in His Being is grander and far larger than all that. Certainly we can use technology for His glory, but we need to be on guard against acting as if technology replaces Him.
Technology replaces God when technology demands all of our time and we do not disconnect in order to connect with God. We violate the first commandment when we set our heart on the next new gadget, replacing God on the throne of our hearts with a computer, smart-phone, or video game console. We replace God with technology when we rely heavily on the Internet for answers to life’s questions. The Internet is a very valuable tool for information; most of us would not be able to do our work without it. However, never let the Internet replace the written Word of God. The virtual world never replaces real, live communion with God and His people. There is an inherent danger in the intersection of our sinful hearts and the nature of technology that would swallow up our entire lives and cause us to forget God as we are bombarded with all kinds of information. Do you recognize these things in your life? Perhaps it is time to re-order our lives. That does not mean we throw out technology altogether because we also believe that it is God’s technology. We can rightly use technology and still honor God as the main object of our affections and worship.
Technology is a medium, or a means—not an end. Let’s always remember that and keep it in its right position in our lives. Part of worshipping and acknowledging God is to put God back on the throne and use technology as a means to worship Him. How do we do that? Begin the day with God before turning to the computer, checking the email, or chatting with your friends. You can use technology to read and study the Bible, to read edifying blogs, to maintain friendships, to post edifying things in your newsfeed on Facebook, to present yourself as a responsible and diligent Christian on LinkedIn, and to listen to sermons on the web. There are so many ways in which we can honor God with technology. But don’t let technology swallow you up by how quickly and easily it takes away from your time with God, lures you into pornography, or wastes time.
How do we capture a large vision of God again in the midst of the constant barrage and stream of technology and information? First, we need to repent of our misuse of technology if we are struggling with it in this way. Second, we need to live with a large view of God. That means we need to search the Scriptures. See the powerful and almighty God who created everything. He is in control of the world. “The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty” (Ex. 34:6–7). Meditate on Micah 7:18–19: “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” He is a God worth serving!
Published by The Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth, used with permission.