I’ll be taking a break from blogging for the next ten days or so. I’ll resume my normal blogging schedule on Monday 19th March, when I’ll continue the Digital Technology series. I do plan to post the weekly Exploring the Bible videos at the end of this week and next.

The longer I’ve wrestled with the challenges of digital technology in my life and in the lives of others, the more convinced I’ve become that the ultimate answer is not “no technology” or “more technology” (see yesterday) but “more theology.” If we want a deep, lasting, and spiritual solution, we need to learn and teach deep, lasting, and spiritual truths. Digital theology is the answer to digital technology; the oldest truths are the best rebuttal to the newest challenges. More Trinity is more effective than more technology.

God is Three-in-One

Seriously? You think the Trinity is the solution to technology? Partly, yes. The three persons of the Godhead enjoy perfect relationship with one another and seek to share that relationship with us, inviting us into that sacred community.

The Father, Son, and Spirit’s relationships with one another are characterized by love, trust, openness, and communication. Isn’t that the model for our relationship with our children, especially when it comes to technology? Isn’t that what we want to cultivate and emulate? The healthier relationship we have with our children, the healthier relationship they will have with technology. Deeper relationships are more effective than more detailed rules.

Additionally, this Three-in-Oneness is not just a relationship to copy, but a relationship to be enjoyed. We are invited to enter into that communion, to live in that holy family. The more we do that, the more the Trinity will replace technology; or, at least, regulate it so that our relationship to it is more balanced and beneficial.

God is Good

Sometimes we can view technology with such terror that we give the impression that it’s all “of the devil.” No, technology is a wonderful gift of God. We are blessed to live in such times and benefit so much from the role of technology in our daily lives. How many lives have been saved by cellphones? How many separated families have been kept together by Skype and FaceTime? How many sermons and lectures have been spread around the world by Christian ministries like Ligonier? The devil didn’t create and invent this. God did, as the giver of every good and perfect gift.

Sure, the devil abuses the gift; sure, we pervert it into sinful uses. But none of that changes the fact that God created the materials, the forces, and the brains that have produced so much beneficial technology. The more we recognize that technology is a gift of God, the more we will abhor taking his gift and using it against him; the more we will take this gift and use it as he intended.

God is All-Knowing

Our parents or spouses can’t see everything or be everywhere. Accountability software can be circumvented and our accountability partners duped. But we can’t escape, circumvent, or dupe the all-seeing eye of God. He sees everything: every place, every second, every screen, every click, every tap. He has a daily report of all the sites we visited, all the messages we sent, all the Instagram accounts we follow. If we knew that he knows, what a difference that would make. The more we can remind ourselves of God’s omnipresence and omniscience, the more we will seek to use technology in a way that gives him pleasure and not in a way that provokes his wrath. Yes, our technology use can please God. He delights to see truth instead of falsehood on Facebook, to hear sermons streaming across the world, and to witness our online witness to unbelievers.

God is Judge

God’s knowledge of us is not being filed away in some dusty cabinet or distant server that will one day be lost or wiped. No, as Judge, he will one day call us to account not just for every idle word but for every idle and idol click, for every second spent in pointless time-wasting. We may silence our internal judge, our conscience; we may outsmart our earthly judges, our parents and accountability partners; but we shall never escape the judgment of God. Let his discerning judgment help you make discerning judgments in your use of technology

God is Savior

Sometimes guilt stops sin; our consciences pain us and warn us to change our ways. More times, guilt multiplies sin; it leaves us hopeless and despairing. We’ve sinned yet again with our cellphone, failed once more on our iPad. We feel so condemned, what’s the point in trying any more? We’ve sinned so much; what harm will another sin do?

Guilt also multiplies sin by creating distance between ourselves and God. It alienates us and separates us from God, making sin all the easier. That’s why we need to hear about salvation, grace, and forgiveness all over again.

Nothing deters sin like the forgiveness of sin because it not only removes guilt, it also multiples love for the Forgiver. The more we can embrace forgiveness, the more we embrace the Forgiver, the more love to (and from) Christ we will enjoy.

God is Powerful

Sometimes we can feel like giving up the battle against the dangers of technology. We look at the forces ranged against us and our children and ask, “What’s the point?” What am I against so much?”

You’re right, the forces are too many and too mighty. However, greater is he who is with us than he who is with them. With God all things are possible, and he loves to demonstrate his possibility especially in our impossibility. His power is made especially manifest in our weakness. When we feel and confess our helplessness, that’s when he moves in with his almighty power. He can keep us and our children. He is able and mighty to save. He can also give us and all our children the Holy Spirit to resist temptation and to do what is right and good. His Spirit is far more influential than the spirit of the age.

God is Wise

Sometimes we might be tempted to think God did not foresee this massive moral and spiritual challenge, that he did not anticipate it, and, therefore, has nothing in his Word to help us. After all, the Bible was written thousands of years ago. What can the papyrus age say to the digital age? Thankfully God did foresee, he did anticipate, and has put sufficient truth in the Bible to guide us through this minefield. Many New Testament verses on Christian ethics can be applied to technology, but I’ve found the book of Proverbs especially helpful as a source of divine wisdom for the digital age. Why not read through it asking God for light on how to apply these ancient wisdom principles to modern times. God is wiser than the wisest tech moguls and has anticipated every development in technology until the end of time. We will never reach a day when we say, “Well the Bible has run out of truth?”

I’ve only scratched the surface, but I hope you’re persuaded that the ultimate answer to digital technology is digital theology.

Blogs

Three Types of Evangelistic Contexts: Contact, Context, and Friendship
Over the years, I have noticed at least three different kinds of evangelistic contexts we may encounter when engaging in personal evangelism.

The Most Important Time to Go to Church
“The most important time to be at church is when you don’t feel like it. I’ve talked with three Christians about this recently—two struggling with depression, and a third who just went through a tough break-up—who’ve stopped gathering with God’s people during a difficult season. Whether for weeks or months, all three have decided to stop going to church.”

One of the best things churches can do for people with mental illness
“The people in your church who live with emotional pain and mental strain are not weaker than the rest of the congregation; they are stronger for the battles they have won. And your church needs them in ministry.”

Preaching Points: Aim for the Ear!
This is so so important:

“Don’t preach as would a writer; preach as a preacher! Preachers who fail to appreciate the vast difference between their oral craft and writing usually display very different understandings of their task—centered in the pulpit and congregation for one and in the desk and study for the other.”

How to think like John Bunyan
“I recommend to you that reading Bunyan is worth it. Every Christian in centuries before our own, if they had books, they had a copy of the Bible and they had a copy of The Pilgrim’s Progress, and there’s a reason for that. It’s a book that can help you hold onto these three realities like Bunyan did: the priority of salvation, the endurance of suffering as a good soldier of Jesus, and the priority of perseverance in the Christian life.”

Womanhood Series: What’s the Highest Calling for the Childless?
“Whether you’re childless or know someone who is, it is important that we reshape how we view our femininity and biblical womanhood. Femininity isn’t fluffy and child-centered, but a fierce and glorious calling from the Lord”

Six Core Convictions on Media and Technology
“These are the six convictions for me when it comes to media, technology, and the Christian life.”

Christians Should Prepare To Defend From Mass Shooters In Church
It is therefore no wonder that, like people who work in schools and other gun-free zones, American Christians are beginning to ask themselves, “What happens when the shooter comes to my church?” How are we to handle a situation like that? Like anyone else, Christians would rather mentally and physically prepare for such an eventuality rather than being caught unawares.

Kindle Books

Against the Gods: The Polemical Theology of the Old Testament by John D. Currid $4.99.

The Whole Story of the Bible in 16 Verses by Chris Bruno $2.99.

A Reformed Approach to Science and Scripture by Keith Mathison (free).

How do we thrive in digital Babylon? Over a number of posts, we’ve highlighted many of the advantages of technology, warned of some of the dangers, and begun a digital detox. But we want to turn more positive and suggest what a healthy digital diet might look like at different ages and stages of life.

You’ll remember how Daniel and his friends purposed in their hearts not to defile themselves with the heathen diet of Babylon (Daniel 1:8). They still ate though. But they chose a different diet, a less exciting diet, to the one offered them in Babylon. And the result? With God’s blessing they thrived and flourished ten times more than their peers (Daniel 1:20). So what will a Daniel diet in digital Babylon look like?

No Technology 

There are probably a few people left who are still trying the “no technology” approach. They say: “The dangers are too great; the consequences are too awful. Therefore, we’ll keep separate from the world by rejecting technology. We won’t buy it, and we will ban our children from using it, too.”

This approach is admirable and understandable, but impossible. Digital technology is so pervasive that trying to avoid it is like trying to avoid breathing. And even if we succeed in avoiding contamination, our children certainly won’t. They will find it, or it will find them. They will then be using it without our knowledge and without any training and teaching—probably the worst of all worlds.

More Technology

Other people try the “more technology” strategy. That’s what I used to focus on most, the idea being that we use good technology to defeat bad technology. So, we set up passwords and time limits on home computers, we add tracking apps to our children’s cell phones, we install accountability software on our laptops, and so on. All of these things are good and can certainly be helpful parts of an overall package of caring for ourselves and our children.

If you want to go all-in on this, then go for the Challies Porn Free Family Plan. Add Circle if you want the Fort Knox version. If you don’t do that, then at least get Covenant Eyes on all your family’s devices—including your own (Shona and I both use Covenant Eyes to keep one another accountable).

There are some problems, though, if we are relying on the “more technology” approach alone. The first is that we can never get enough good technology to beat bad technology. Teens are especially adept at circumventing controls and finding loopholes in the most secure systems. Sure, we can slow them down, we can make it more difficult by putting some obstacles in the way, but if they are determined enough, they are going to beat us. They can always find more technology to beat our “more technology” battle plan.

Also, even if we succeed in securing their devices, as soon as they walk out the door, they can access anything they want on friends’ devices. Or, they can simply get another device and hide it from us.

This approach can sometimes tend toward legalism and often undermines relationships by creating a sort of “cat and mouse” scenario, resulting in suspicion on the one side and hiding on the other.

We need technology, but we need more than “more technology.” Tomorrow we’ll begin to look at what more we can do to help our families thrive in digital Babylon.

Previous Posts:  Technology is Created by God, Technology is the Gift of God, Technology Reveals God, The Dangers of Digital Babylon, Digital Technology is Killing our Minds, Digital Technology is Killing our Health, Digital Technology is Killing our Relationships. Digital Technology is Killing our Productivity, Digital Technology is Killing our Souls. Digital Detox.

Blogs

3GT Episode 74: De(com)pression
One of the most common questions I get asked when I speak about depression and mental illness is, “How can I help my husband who’s depressed but won’t even talk about it?” You may get some help in this podcast as three men discuss depression.

“Many in the church suffer with depression and the questions it raises. Aren’t Christians always supposed to be happy? So is it sinful to be depressed? Is it always a spiritual problem? Where do you go for help? How do you help someone with it? Are resources outside the church an option? Are medications ever beneficial? What are some of the dangers in traveling down the road of depression? And what does the Bible have to say about all of this?”

7 Ways to Work Hard at Rest
“Life tends toward business. Have you noticed? Clutter and frantic are effortless. Clean and calm tend to slip away while we’re not looking. Over the last several years I’ve been through busier seasons, and now God has kindly provided more of a sabbatical kind of season. I’ve noticed several things about the idea of Sabbath rest:

• Busy seasons are often when I’ve learned how to do Sabbath well.
• Not being busy is never a guarantee that I’m actually resting my soul.
• Paradoxically, drawing from both of these points, rest is hard work.

Here are some specific lessons I’ve learned along the way. Maybe they’ll help you to endure amid busyness and fatigue.”

The Slow Burn of Bitterness
Struggle with bitterness? Let Nancy counsel you through it and out of it:

“No one ever says, “When I grow up, I want to be bitter.” But life has a way of handing us hurts that can collect, insults and offenses that seem to stick to our souls and refuse to let go. Of course, we don’t want to see ourselves as bitter. And yet, when the word “forgiveness” comes up, we sometimes find ourselves becoming uncomfortable. We sense we’re about to be asked to do something we really don’t want to do. A face comes into view in our mind’s eye. A fire reignites inside us at the thought of what happened or what didn’t happen, what was said or what went unsaid, revealing that there are embers of unforgiveness smoldering inside us that threaten to burn forever if they are not doused for good. But how will that ever happen? I can tell you how it happened for me.”

What do You Mean by Asking Me to Meditate on Scripture!?
Biblical counselors often ask people to meditate on Scripture. What do they mean by that?

A Drunk, Anxious, and Depressed CEO: The Obvious Path To Business Success
Read and apply to pastoring instead of CEO

“Sleeping 2 hours less than your ideal, or decreasing the quality of your sleep by 25% leads to a 30% decrease in performance in your PFC. This means you will make worse decisions, you will be worse at communicating, you will have less focus, you will be less able to resist temptation, you will worse at planning, executing plans, or sticking to any plan or commitment. The behaviors of your PFC-in running the business of your body, brain, and consciousness-will be on par with a drunk, anxious, depressed, malnourished CEO. The business of being healthy, and joyfully pursuing your goals, interest and ambitions, will be a failing business. You will be bankrupt very soon.”

Enrollment Data, Public Opinion Suggest The College Bubble Is Popping
“A lethal combination of radical liberalism, a rapidly evolving economy, and unstoppable technological progress is all but certain to fell America’s ivory tower.”

Kindle Books

The Scriptures Testify about Me: Jesus and the Gospel in the Old Testament by various authors (mixed bag, but some excellent chapters) $2.99.

The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges $3.99.

Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments by Randy Alcorn $1.99.

Here’s the video to show your kids at the end of Expedition Nine of Exploring the Bible. If you want to bookmark a page where all the videos will eventually appear, you can find them on my blog, on YouTube, or the Facebook page for Exploring the Bible. Thanks to Darryl Bradford, Video Producer/Editor at PRTS for all his work on these videos.

If you haven’t started your kids on the book yet, you can begin anytime and use it with any Bible version. Here are some sample pages.

You can get it at RHB, Westminster Books, Crossway, or Amazon. If you’re in Canada use Reformed Books Services. Some of these retailers have good discounts for bulk purchases by churches and schools.