“Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near”— Isaiah 55:6 (NRSV).
Do you think it pleases our Heavenly Father when we spend more time on our cell phones than we do in scripture? Think about it this way. Does it please you when others ignore you because they’re too busy answering text messages, posting on Facebook or Instagram or answering emails on their electronic devices?
Well-known author and Bible teacher Beth Moore puts it this way: “Our devices have become our vices. We’ve lost the art of reading and meditating on the Word.
“Our cell phones have become an addiction,” she adds. “While they are supposed to connect us, we’ve become disconnected. We are the body of Christ, but we are living disembodied lives.”
Recently, I attended Beth’s yearly simulcast. Focusing on Colossians 1:1-2:9, she talked about what pleases God.
In Chapter 1, verses 10-12, the Apostle Paul writes, “Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.”
Beth broke this scripture down into four parts to help us understand what pleases our Heavenly Father. She also encouraged Christians to pray this scripture in order to live a life worthy of the Lord.
First, she says, “We must bear fruit in every good work.” Ask God to reveal to you where He has called you to serve. Most drift through life, from one thing to another, until we call upon Him for revelation about our calling. No one can fill your calling in life but you.
Second, we need to grow in the knowledge of God. When we quit searching for Him in the pages of scripture, we stagnate. To stagnate means to stop developing, growing, progressing or advancing. We are no longer newborns in Christ but must mature into our faith.
Third, we need His strength to accomplish His will and calling on our life. Well-known Bible teacher Joyce Meyer says, “Spending time with God is the key to our strength and success in all areas of life. Be sure that you never try to work God into your schedule, but always work your schedule around Him.”
Fourth, give thanks for what He has done and is doing in your life. In Psalm 9:1, King David wrote, “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
How can we experience everything God has done and is doing in our lives when our eyes are focused on our devices and not on Him?
Ask yourself, “Is my life pleasing to God?”
The Christian faith has always been about relationships. God created us to be intimate with each other (husband and wife) and with Him!
Jesus is God-become-man and even though He ascended into heaven, he still desires a relationship with us. And once He has that relationship, he sends us out into the world to share His Gospel with other people.
This can be enhanced by electronic devices and social media, but it happens through relationships. Ultimately, a relationship will have to be lived by putting the devices down and looking into each other’s eyes.
You are so right, Ed! Relationships are created and built on face-to-face contact. Thank you for your response.