Humans are naturally drawn to technology because it fights against our natural limitations. We are finite creatures who can only be in one place at one time primarily doing one thing. We invent things to try to change that. Our desire to change things is not inherently wrong, but it can lead to a negative outcome if it goes against the way God designed us to live.
This is important to consider in our modern world because it has become so marked by technology. We need to make sure to ask the right questions. Does the benefit of adopting a given technology outweigh the disadvantages? As Christians, we will answer this question very differently than the world because we are living for eternity with God, while the world is not.
A worldly definition of technology is “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.” A materialistic worldview struggles to say no to technological advancement because it believes there are no supernatural consequences for saying yes. Christians see the world very differently. We believe people are made in the image of God. We believe they are made up of body, mind, and soul. We should not consider technology with a pragmatic approach. We need to think about it biblically, with a supernatural worldview in place.
In Matthew 16:26 Jesus Christ wrote, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” This is a helpful question to ask in relation to modern technology because it forces us think of the natural world in relation to the supernatural. Technology often tries to let humans break out of their limitations. Go faster, communicate with more people, have influence in more places at the same time. As Christians we need to remember we are just one soul. Our purpose is to glorify God and make disciples of God one soul at a time. This is difficult to keep in mind because the materialistic goals of technology often seep into our minds and into the church. We have to be careful. We have to ask questions about modern technology that can be difficult to ask.
How is your smart phone impacting your soul? How does watching Netflix impact your relationship with God? How does your 8K resolution TV help you serve in the local church? How does using Amazon Prime impact your ability to share the gospel with people at the store? Jesus’ question in Matthew 16 is difficult to ask because it makes us think about our soul. It makes us think about eternity, which is something technology so often distracts us from.
The soul will never find true contentment until it finds peace with God. He is the creator of every soul. He knows that humans do not need technology to find lasting peace. In fact his word says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3). How can someone trust in God? They must recognize that they have sin in their life, which separates them from God. They must believe that God sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross and rise from the dead to pay for their sin. They must submit their life to the Lordship of Christ. Then they will have peace because they will know that after death comes eternal life with their Savior.
One of the wonderful aspects of eternity is that there will be no need for modern technology. We won’t need to put sermons on Youtube because the bride of Christ will be with the groom. We won’t need to use Zoom to protect ourselves from a virus because there will be no sickness, no pain, and no tears. We won’t need to use FaceTime with loved ones because we will be in the presence of Love himself! Let’s keep eternity in mind so we will know how to find peace for our souls during these turbulent times.
