2016: Self-Denial #4
"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” -Matthew 16:24
This devotion is designed to guide you through time with God in order to examine a specific category of self-denial. Reflect on the questions this category addresses. Examine Scripture to see what God has to teach on the topic and where he might lead you in transformative growth. Choose one or more exercises to practice this form of self-denial, and return at the end of the month to examine and reflect. Remember, the goal is not to give something up, but to grow in greater dependence and more deeply treasure your relationship with God.
WARMING UP: Before you begin, get in a comfortable position, relax your body, and spend a few moments in silence. Once you are ready, move to the exercise below.
THE TOPIC: Personal Use of Technology
Personal computers, cell phones, Ipads and tablets, et al, have changed the way people worldwide gain, process and produce information. We are an information-fed, information-hungry society. Additionally, social media has dramatically changed the way people interact with one another. Face-to-face conversations are often replaced by electronic communication. It presents an obstacle to authentic relationship building. Of even greater concern is the danger that being perpetually ‘online’ can eclipse relationship with God.
To be sure, technology has gifted us access to immediate prayer needs for missionaries, cross-country connection for families, Bible and prayer apps to make spiritual help immediately available.
The problemfacing every believer is not about the merits of technology. In and of itself technology is neithergood nor bad. The concern is to what degree technology has a grip on the individual. The strength of that grip can present a hindrance to spiritual formation.
Take a moment for a quick personal inventory. What is the first thing you do when you awaken each morning? Is it to grab your phone and check Facebook or emails? Or is it to praise God and surrender your first thoughts to Him? How many times a day are you checking Instagram or Twitter or Gmail? How does that contrast with the time you invest in continual prayer (I Thess. 5:17)? Are you more prone to spend time in the Word or time surfing through the channels or Netflix offerings? Technology is not to blame if we have allowed ourselves to form a dependence upon it that exceeds our dependence upon God. This is a choice we make hourly or daily. Permit the Spirit to speak to your heart and mind about this matter of dependence as you wrestle through this month of self-denial from forms of technology.
SCRIPTURE EXAMINATION
1) Ex. 16:23 provides a glimpse of God’s design for the Sabbath. The intent was to provide an opportunity for God’s people to focus their thoughts on God’s holiness and to rest in His presence. His instructions to ‘not work’ was intended to remove stress, worries, distractions and concernsso that they would center on God from the outside in until, eventually, their minds from the inside outwould practice His presence every day of the week. How has your computer, your tablet, your phone, your TV, etc become ‘work’ for you? In that, in what ways does it detour your thoughts away from full attention on God as the center of your being?
2) Meditate on Paul’s instruction in Philippians 4:8. In this passage, he is advocating a transformed way of thinking. This verse follows an admonition to prayer resulting in inner peace. To that end, verse 8 offers a way of redirecting thoughts in order to remain aligned with God’s transcending peace. Consider the ways in which your cell phone, computer, tablet, TV, etc rob you of peace. What particular type of technology most frequently upsets you or disturbs your inner peace? Ask the Lord to reveal to you why you are giving this form of technology greater control over your emotions than you are giving to Him.
3) In Ps. 119:15, David commits to meditating on the precepts of God’s Word. The word, meditate, actually means to muse, ponder, reflect or consider. Does your current use of cell phones, tablets, computers, TV, etc. foster this kind of meditation or hinder it? What consumes more of your time: meditation on God’s precepts or devotion to technology devices and applications?
PRACTICE
Choose one or more areas to practice the denial of technology over-use throughout this month.
-Begin each morning with prayer BEFORE looking at your cell phone, computer or any other device (including TV for morning news) for one full week
-Choose a “Sabbath” day in which you completely abstain from some aspect of technology, e.g. no TV, no social media or no cell phone; offer this to the Lord as an act of worship; focus your attention on Him
-Write out Philippians 4:8 on a note card to keep with you on a given day; before checking social media, emails, texts or TV, read the verse aloud; use it as a reminder to monitor your thoughts; consider turning away from that technology source at that moment if it does not align with godly thinking
-Experiment throughout the month with means of connecting with family or friends in non-technological ways. For example, send a hand-written note of thanks or encouragement, call someone to talk, or set up a face-to-face encounter with a friend instead of texting or posting.
RETURN FOR REFLECTION
At the end of the month, spend time reflecting on your practice of self-denial.
-What did God reveal to you about your dependence upon technology? Does it enhance/detract from your relationship with the Lord?
-How different is your outlook on the days when you put the Lord first and technology second?
-How were you affected by your Sabbath experience?
-Evaluate what Phil. 4:8 showed you about technology’s impact on your thoughts.
-How were your relationships affected by less dependence upon technology? What resolve can you make to more effectively communicate with people who are important to you? What new insights did you gain about interaction with a relational God and His call to be authentically relational?