Relevance of Christian Faith in the Tech Era

Recently, I heard a pastor mention how one of the reasons he believes we're close to the return of Christ is because of the ability to travel globally. He mentioned how in the span of a few hours he could decide he would like to travel to the other side of the world and be on his way. That simple thought experiment made me think how much more relevant the Christian faith is to the contemporary disciple in this technological era.

The modern tech era, especially with exponential AI advancements, has accelerated the instant fulfillment (or dulling) of desires. Today's tools can act as catalysts for exciting ideas, genuine curiosity, or illicit intentions, which gave me cause for pause as a parent of elementary children considering creating their own Apple ID's. This very fact made me think how much more relevant, contrary to what the world might say, the Christian faith is to the contemporary disciple following The Way, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

It is only through the active abiding in Christ that our hearts and our very desires can be changed from selfish to a fundamentally different kind of love. If we are not careful and allow ourselves to stray away from a relationship with Him, we may end up starving the new creation God begins in the born-again follower of Jesus. The foundational work of a relationship with God has remained the same, and I will borrow the late Dr. Robert Mulholland's definition for spiritual formation found in Invitation To A Journey: the process of being formed in the image of Christ for the sake of others. And while that may be the effect our relationship with God has in us, I would venture to say the reason for our relationship with God is althemore sweet and simultaneously humbling: for Him to delight in us and us in Him. 

In a time where more and faster will do, let us ensure our lives are aligned with God for Him to shape us into who He wants us to be: image bearers of His unique Son, Jesus, walking in the good works He prepared for us. Technological tools are just that: tools. What we choose to use them for will reveal what our hearts are aligned with.

What does your current relationship with technology look like? What does the majority of time and intention using it reveal about your heart right now?