I’ve always had this love hate relationship with technology. Some of you know me as Barry, the guy from Code Of Ethics, a band that relied on technology to thrive in the 90’s. You might find this a bit strange, even funny but it’s true! I was selling cd’s at concerts while listening to cassettes in my car. I bought our first home computer in 1999. It was made by Compaq and it looked like an old toaster from the 60’s, it also worked like an old toaster from the 60’s and eventually gave up the ghost just two years later.
I’ll admit that I now find myself staring into a large computer screen for a good portion of the day and have become somewhat of an addict of text messaging! Why call and waste time talking when you can text right? As I grow older and maybe a bit more in tune with technology I can’t help but feel a little like being in bondage sometimes. Even though I’ve been in church ministry for the past seven years I can become so busy “doing” ministry through technology, sending emails, making band charts and schedules etc, that I push my time with God right out of what I’m trying to accomplish for the Kingdom! Feel’n me yet?
As I recently finished reading the book of Luke, I noticed two wonderful attributes of Jesus that I have to refine in my life as I learn to walk more like my Rabbi. The first is that Jesus was very self-disciplined. This was not a man who hung out with twelve other guys going from beach to beach surfing, looking for the perfect wave or sleeping all day while living off the kindness of other people. No, this was a man that woke up before everyone else and went about his routine of teaching others of the Kingdom come, healing the sick, and forgiving (Luke 6:17-19). Lets not forget that He also went from town to town raising people from the dead, now that must have been a real crowd pleaser! He had a very busy schedule and kept at it because it was the will of His father and because of the daily eternal impact on humanity. So I’ve decided that before I even click the mouse and turn on the screen I will be self-disciplined in reading the word and that my study time would come first and foremost everyday!
The next attribute I noticed, and this is a really hard one for me, is that Jesus prayed. I don’t mean like how I pray, you know, Lord thank you for my breakfast, lunch and dinner. Please help me get that better job, house etc. No! Jesus prayed often and many times right through the night while his disciples slept (Luke 9:32)! Jesus was and is our model, a way of life as we seek first the Kingdom. So I would challenge you my dear friends to be self-disciplined during your day and to pray like our Rabbi, for everything (Matt 7:7). May God’s peace and love be with you this week!
Blessings,
Barry Blaze