PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• Five years ago, in a moment born out of complete frustration, I posted this on Facebook:
“We live in a world of phones, email, texting, instant messaging, fax, and of course regular postal service. We’ve got smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Yet, despite all these wonderful technologies, designed to improve our ability to communicate, we might as well be using smoke-signals.”
We can add to the list Facebook, Instagram, and for those who use them — Twitter and Snapchat.
And we still can’t effectively communicate with each other.
In 3 John 1:13-14, John wrote, “I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.”
While our technology would have been foreign to John, our all-knowing God knew the day would come when we’d spend more time interacting with a screen instead of each other.
With that said, I believe every word of the Bible is purposeful and deliberate.
I think God put this verse in Scripture to remind us to put down the phones, walk away from the computer, and sit down face-to-face.
We cannot form quality and meaningful relationships through text messages and 140-character social media exchanges!
That’s not how God designed us to interact with each other!
Hebrews 10:24-25b says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, NOT NEGLECTING TO MEET TOGETHER, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Emphasis mine.)
It’s through face-time that we can best encourage and uplift one another.
It’s another reason why it’s so important to be a part of church fellowship.
Church isn’t done in isolation.
It’s a community!
But that’s another topic.
Today, I encourage you to set aside the electronic communication tools and use your own, unique brand of communication tools given to you by God Himself—your brain, your ears, and your mouth.
And as you pray, thank God for His interest in communicating with you!
Thank Him for the opportunity to know Him personally through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you encourage others.
Ask Him to help you invest in people-time more than screen-time.
