July 8 Labor Saving Devices

Galatians 5:25-26 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Not to get personal or anything, but how many labor saving devices do you own or are able to access? Think things you might plug in for starters - like well, mixers came to my mind since I like to bake. I cannot imaging beating a dozen egg whites into a meringue by hand for an angelfood cake. Then my new favorite, my dishwasher (never had one that really worked when I had kids) or a vacuum cleaner or washing machine or...now the ubiquitous cell phones, computers, ipads and iphones.

Think about how helpless you feel when the power goes out for even a few minutes, much less a hour or a day, heaven forbid. At first we are frantic, helpless without all of our labor saving devices...those devices unknown even a hundred years ago. It is interesting as I think about this, that no matter how many labor saving devices that one has, there are always more to tempt us, and we are no less busy. No more able to rest. In fact, we have become so addicted to our technology that many of the current magazines, journals and newspapers., not to speak of websites, address the issues of that addiction recommending that we fast from technology periodically.

I wonder if the motto of our current culture is more like : We live by technology and walk by technology and boast of what we have, challenging others to get more too.

The point I want to make is that all this technology neither makes life easier, less complicated or more restful. In fact, it winds us right up, enslaving us. Paul's admonition, here to the believers in the early church is even more relevant to us today. Let me go back to verse 22 of this passage: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace....." We can either live and be controlled by the values and technology of this world, or we can take charge of them by walking in the Spirit. This requires us to consciously lay all those labor saving devices down, maybe even every morning, to be still and listen to God. To reserve time first for Him, to soak in His presence and to seek His counsel before we hit facebook or email or text for the counsel of others.

Peace, beautiful restful healing peace is still possible, and God wants it for us. But we have to stop giving the power and control of our lives to technology and give it back to the One Who loves us.