"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." ~ John 10:10
What is stealing, killing and destroying us? Lots of things, in my opinion. Our food, what we are putting into our bodies. Our lack of self care. The way we don't exercise. Obesity. What we put into our minds via movies, television and the like. Bad air quality. However, today, I'm going to focus on another one that I have personally been convicted by lately - my phone. It may sound silly, but I have become a slave to it, in a way. When it dings because there is a new email, text or facebook message, I'm like Pavlov's dog needing to check it instantly. Before I had a phone, I was pretty into email and my computer, but this is a whole new level. It's accessible while driving. It's accessible at the park with my kids. At Bible study. At focused time with friends and loved ones. My phone is enabling me to check out. It is stealing time away from my kids, my family, friends and loved ones. It is killing those relationships and ultimately, could destroy them. Sounds like the devil to me.
Speaking of killing, how many deaths have been caused by people texting, checking their email or facebook? And, to be honest, I am just as guilty of it. I have texted while driving. I have checked email while driving. With my kids in the car. Why? Why would I put all of our lives at risk over something so trivial and meaningless as a facebook status? Are you kidding me? No, I'm not. It is a problem. For lots of us. And it is not good.
Don't get me wrong, I love having a smart phone. It's handy, convenient, and sometimes has saved me from getting lost. I am not slamming the smart phone or the idea of it at all. I am saying we need better boundaries and self discipline with them, though. Don't use it in your car. Put it in silent mode or airplane mode, if you need to. Heck, turn the blasted thing off. I think we need to prioritize what is most important to us and do what we can do take care of it. If it is our families, do what you can to keep them safe - including not using your phone while driving.
I had a huge wake up call a few weeks ago when a young mom near us was taking a bike ride with her two small girls. She was hit by someone using their phone to do mobile banking. The man who hit her was a stand up guy - he had been in the military, I believe and when the accident happened, he got out of the car and tried to resuscitate her. It was a simple mistake that took someones life. A mistake I am guilty of. So, I'm setting boundaries with myself. I'm not going to have my phone in the car with me. I will put it in my glovebox on silent. Even if it is on silent in the cupholder and I see the blue light notifying me of a message, I will cave. What do you need to do? What does our society need to do? Something needs to change, friends. Let's be part of the solution, not the problem.
No comments :
Post a Comment