My idol...technology

This morning I woke up with the realization that I have an idol in my life that I need to get rid of. Before I dive in, you should know that I use technology daily. It has allowed me to stay connected to teens and their families. It allows me to stay in touch with other youth ministers across the country. But that isn't to say that it is good all the time. Recently I have found myself having the same kind of dream for the past several weeks. I wake up with thoughts of how to get a new piece to add to my collection.

Now, I don't do drugs and don't plan on it, but I have to believe that is how an addict feels as they try to get the next high. As there are millions of people around the globe and here at home that have far less than I do, I should be dreaming of ways to help them in any way possible and doing all I can for them. Instead, my first thoughts in the morning and my last thoughts at night are what is the latest in tech news that I must devour instantly.

This is a scary thing to admit and before you tell me it isn't that bad, that there are worse things to be addicted to, let me say that anything that keeps our attention off of the suffering of others is that bad! Instead of constantly reading tech blogs that say the same thing 1,000 different ways, I should be diving head first into His word, so that I can share with others and not what phone is fastest or which computer had the better specs.

I have never done a technology fast, not because I haven't thought about it, but I because I have been too afraid that I wouldn't last more than a day. Man, how foolish did that sentence make me look. My name is Mitchell O'Briant and I am addicted to technology.

Thought about Communion

This is a brief thought that I had:

Today I was reading in Mark to prepare for next week and read chapter 14. I was struck for the first time in a while when I got to the institution of the Lord's Supper. What we take as a memorial, Jesus used as a way of looking to things to come. Yes, we are instructed to remember Him as we partake of this, but we should also be looking forward to taking it with Him in Glory. Think about how wonderful it will be to share this meal with our Lord and Savior in paradise. I don't know about you, but I can't wait.