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By Ava Pennington—
I still have a telephone with one of those long curly cords. But it seems I’m part of a shrinking majority. Cords are out. Wireless, mobile technology is in. Just ask the 29% of American households who no longer have a landline telephone. By relying solely on their cell phones, they’ve declared themselves free of restrictive cords.
But are they really free? Wherever I go, I see people tethered to their cell phones. Of course, calling it a phone is outdated—telephone calls are just one way people use their smartphones these days. Email, surfing the web, texting, and playing games are a few more tasks the phone can perform. When we add features such as an e-reader, stopwatch, barcode reader, flashlight, and alarm clock, I wonder…are we really free or have we exchanged one tether for another?
I’ve seen couples out to dinner, sitting at the same table, each riveted to the technology in their hand. I’ve watched moms at a softball game, presumably there to watch their children, while their thumbs fly across a miniature keyboard as they connect with someone miles away. And I’ve been guilty of checking emails in the car while my husband is driving, instead of using the time to engage in meaningful conversation.
Why is it so difficult for us to live in the moment? Missionary Jim Elliot once said, “Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”
Imagine what it would mean to the people around us if we gave them our full attention, mentally and emotionally, while we are with them physically. At the very least, we’d be communicating their importance to us. When the Holy Spirit spoke through the apostle Paul to exhort us to consider others more important than ourselves, I wonder if He looked down the centuries to a time when our most significant relationships would be with technology instead of people?
Heavenly Father, help me remember the value of the people You have placed in my life. I want to see them as You see them, treat them as You have said to treat them, and be all there for them as You are all there for me.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility value others above yourselves” (Philippians 2:3 NIV).
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Ava Pennington is a writer, Bible teacher, and speaker. Her newest book,Daily Reflections on the Names of God: A Devotional, is endorsed by Precepts founder Kay Arthur. Additionally, Ava is co-author of Faith Basics for Kids. The first two books in the series are Do You Love Me More? andWill I See You Today? She has also written numerous articles for magazines such as Today’s Christian Woman, Power for Living, and Called.
In addition to her writing, Ava also teaches a weekly, Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class of 175+ women. She is a passionate speaker and teacher, and delights in challenging audiences with the truth of God’s word in relevant, enjoyable presentations. Ava and Russ have been married for 35 years and live in southeast Florida.
For more information, visit her at www.AvaWrites.com
Ava – I love this. I just had this conversation with my hubby last night. We are re-evaluating our electronic distractions, and this was such a good word for us!
Thank you, Jesi. It’s something we have to be intentional about, isn’t it?
What an excellent post. We can certainly let ourselves get stretched out of shape with technology. I’m afraid I’m guilty of pulling it out in the car too often on short trips with my husband. Thanks for the reminder.