The
average person spends 11 hours a day looking at their personal devices. What?
Seriously? How can that be when
there is only 24 hours in the day? This sad statistic comes from a recent Nielson poll. The addictive effects of our devices has frequently
graced the pages of medical journals. We
know our brains aren’t wired to have that much dopamine pumping through it as
we scroll in and out of media feeds. Children
seem to be the most vulnerable. While we
still don’t know the long-term consequences smart phones will play on the brain’s
development, it is clear they have an addictive effect. This should be enough information to alarm all
of us.
I
remember an experiment conducted in 1999 called the “Gorilla Experiment”. Several people were asked to watch six people-three in white shirts and three in black
shirts-pass basketballs around in a circle. The viewers were told to keep track of the
number of passes made by the people in white shirts. Then, in walks a gorilla, who thumps his
chest and walks out. More than half the
viewers were blind to the gorilla. This
experiment reveals that we are missing a lot of what goes on around
us.
The Israelites
in the old testament did not have digital devices, yet they managed time and
time again to turn their eyes from God. The
prophet Isaiah in chapter 40:26 said, “Lift up your eyes and look to the
heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty
strength, not one of them is missing.” While captive in Babylon, the nation of Israel
had succumbed to worshiping the stars.
Instead, they should have seen in the stars the evidence of God’s
creator-ship.
The
digital age we live in is making it harder for us to make the time to see God’s
glory in all that He has created. We
also need to see Christ at the center of that creation. Jesus, while teaching Nicodemus, a Jewish Pharisee,
told him "Most assuredly, I say to
you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John
3:3). Here was Jesus, the promised Messiah, standing
before a prominent member of the Jewish council telling him how to achieve
eternal life. Nicodemus could not see Jesus
as the promised Messiah, because he was spiritually blind.
Although God is working all around us,
pursuing us and showing us His glory, some people cannot see His divine
workings (Acts 28:26–27). A person who does not see
God, does not know God, and unfortunately they are spiritually perishing (2 Corinthians 4:3–4; Revelation 3:17). In short, those who reject Christ are
spiritually blind and they are lost (John 6:68–69). As a child of God, we are given spiritual
sight because we have through faith, accepted the light of Christ which shows
us His glory and leads us into His salvation. God gave us both light and sight, gifts
working together to help our eyes and hearts understand there is a Creator.
As I have been recovering from my recent
surgery and a serious infection, I often go out to my garden to sit and take in
the beauty around me. The song of the
birds often leads me into a song of worship or a prayer of thanksgiving. The warmth of the sunlight is better than any
modern medicine. The quiet of the woods
has become my favorite place to study the scriptures and hear God speaking
directly to me through His word. God is
using this time of recovery to open my spiritual eyes. I want to see the gorilla in the room. In other words, I want to see my sin before it
becomes destructive. I want to see God’s
will in my life. I want to see and enjoy
the peace and beauty of His creation in my gardens.
So put down your device for a while and get
out and connect with your Creator. Enjoy
the beautiful warmth and light of the sunshine.
Take in the smell and colors of the flowers, the sky and the birds. Spend time taking a walk with your children. Read them a book, or better yet, teach them God’s
word. Whatever
you choose, be sure to open your spiritual eyes and do it all for the glory of
God!
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