The Smart Phone

Here's my pet peeve, I'm guilty of it myself, and I'm working to change it, the Smart Phone. It's everywhere. I'm blessed actually to have one, it come in handy in many ways. But, in other ways I've found it to be somewhat of a curse.

Everyone in our family has a smart phone, and I have noticed that sometimes instead of talking to each other, we are on our phones. And, that contributes to surface conversations, or sparse conversations. 

Of course I remember the day when we didn't each have our own phone. I remember when friends and family gathered together, we were faced with each other and pretty much had to come up with something to talk about. Yet even then, there were ways to escape. There always is.

For me, I escaped by wearing a different mask, living in a world that fit whoever I was with. It was convenient for me, and I thought it was for everyone else too. But, it wasn't honest.

The Smart Phone is another way to hide. It keeps me in a safe little world away from deeper, honest conversation. It keeps me from being known. 

It keeps my family and friends when we gather together at arms length, and sometimes we can all be in the same room, yet be lonely. At least, there are times that I feel that way. Sometimes, I can be sitting in a room while the rest of the people are on their phone, engaged in some other way, and it feels lonely.

As I said earlier, my smartphone is a blessing. It has helped me out in many ways, and kept me connected in ways that I would not have been before. For this I am grateful. However, this blessing has had a tendency to turn into something that is not so good as well; the very thing that has brought connection has caused disconnect. The very thing that has enabled me to reach out to many more friends, has seemmed to create walls with others. I don't like this. The verse that comes to mind for me is in Ephesians 4:25

What this adds up to, then is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth in Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.

This is my truth. I am seeking connection, lots of it.  I'm going to continue to work at leaving my smart phone in the bedroom when my family and friends come to visit. I want to know the hearts of the people that walk through my door, and I want to love them. But, it's not just that, I want to be loved in return, I want all of us to be connected as Christ's Body. 

Jesus, I am asking You to continue to live deeply inside of me, and love others through me, speak truth through me, and walk this path through me. Jesus, monitor my smart phone! Say That Again!