The definition of addiction is “to occupy (oneself) with or involve (oneself) in something habitually or compulsively.” This speaks of an unnatural (for the Christian, at least) obsession with anything other than God: sports, work, shopping and/or acquiring “stuff,” even family or children. We are to “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5), which is, according to Jesus, the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38). We can conclude, then, that an addiction to anything other than God Himself is wrong. God is the only thing we can (and should) occupy ourselves with habitually. To do so with anything else draws us away from Him and displeases Him. He alone is worthy of our complete attention, love, and service. To offer these things to anything or anyone else is idolatry.
“Our theology of technology tells us that while our new devices do not have any innate morality—they are neither good nor evil—they inhabit a sinful world and will draw our hearts away from God more easily than toward him. We know that though our devices are not sinful, we may well use them in sinful ways. In all the ways we communicate today, we may use our technologies to destroy relationship instead of foster it, to tear down instead of build up. If we are to use them well, we must use them deliberately, thoughtfully, and in a distinctly Christian way.”
— Challies, Tim in The Next Story
“While technology can be an idol in and of itself, far more commonly it serves as an enabler of other idols. In this sense, technology has a secondary function, enhancing the power of an existing idol by strengthening its grip on our heart. Technology becomes a tool of our existing idols.”
— Challies, Tim in The Next Story
“We may be serving the idol of significance, finding a sense of value in the number of people who notice us and interact with us. People with an idol of significance will measure their success or popularity by the number of friends they have on Facebook or the number of followers on Twitter. They make popularity something that can be measured and analyzed and feel that their own significance increases as more people pay attention to them and interact with them online.”
— Challies, Tim in The Next Story
“Studies now show that many young people are actually losing their ability to relate to one another in an offline context. As they’ve given themselves over to the idol of digital communication, they’ve paid a price. Now, real-world communication feels threatening, less natural, less normal than typing a text message. It is not unusual to observe two girls sitting in the same room, mere feet from one another, texting back and forth. In some contexts, digital communication has become the more “natural” form of communication. It feels easier, safer, and more efficient than talking face-to-face.
In a strange way, we now find that more”
— Challies, Tim in The Next Story
Lets redeem technology for the glory of God...
“Our theology of technology tells us that while our new devices do not have any innate morality—they are neither good nor evil—they inhabit a sinful world and will draw our hearts away from God more easily than toward him. We know that though our devices are not sinful, we may well use them in sinful ways. In all the ways we communicate today, we may use our technologies to destroy relationship instead of foster it, to tear down instead of build up. If we are to use them well, we must use them deliberately, thoughtfully, and in a distinctly Christian way.”
— Challies, Tim in The Next Story
“While technology can be an idol in and of itself, far more commonly it serves as an enabler of other idols. In this sense, technology has a secondary function, enhancing the power of an existing idol by strengthening its grip on our heart. Technology becomes a tool of our existing idols.”
— Challies, Tim in The Next Story
“We may be serving the idol of significance, finding a sense of value in the number of people who notice us and interact with us. People with an idol of significance will measure their success or popularity by the number of friends they have on Facebook or the number of followers on Twitter. They make popularity something that can be measured and analyzed and feel that their own significance increases as more people pay attention to them and interact with them online.”
— Challies, Tim in The Next Story
“Studies now show that many young people are actually losing their ability to relate to one another in an offline context. As they’ve given themselves over to the idol of digital communication, they’ve paid a price. Now, real-world communication feels threatening, less natural, less normal than typing a text message. It is not unusual to observe two girls sitting in the same room, mere feet from one another, texting back and forth. In some contexts, digital communication has become the more “natural” form of communication. It feels easier, safer, and more efficient than talking face-to-face.
In a strange way, we now find that more”
— Challies, Tim in The Next Story
Lets redeem technology for the glory of God...