The Idolization of Technology: How Our Devices Have Become Our Gods

What’s the name of that new show? Is it on regular TV or cable or Hulu or Netflix? (Disney+, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, HBO Max and the list of streaming sites goes on and on.) I want to be sure to watch it. It sounds very interesting. It really does not matter when it comes on, I will binge watch it to catch up with the current episodes. Is that show something like American Idol because I never miss that show. 

Does this one-sided conversation remind you of anyone? At one time, it was me and maybe it was or still is you. Just exactly how many hours do we spend on whatever we have elevated to a god. We worship these ‘little idols’. We will not leave home without them to stream anything or read anything. We sleep with them both day and night. We take them everywhere with us – bedroom, bathroom, out to dinner, movies, work, all sports events, even concerts and funerals. We have made them into our god. We spend hours on and with them. Hours. Does that sound like worship?

But the phone, ipad, laptop is only an idol because of the stuff that’s on it. Why do we believe everything that we hear, we read, and we see on these idols? We have come to conclude there is nothing these idols do not know or can provide for us. We believe these idols have the answers to everything we need in life. We think our idols can answer our financial problems, our relationship problems and our medical problems both physical and mental. Does our idol really do all these things for us? No, each night we are still broken after hours with our idol god. The world tells us not to leave home without them. We need to be connected 24/7.

There are problems with this 24/7 issue with this god(idol). We have to pay our idol for it to give us the smallest of information. Our idol goes down during storms and power outages. Sometimes our idol freezes and sometimes our idol just shuts down for days. The advice from our idol changes with every different stream that we watch. The things we have made into idols and spend hours of time with do not do anything for us.

BUT, the Holy Bible provides everything we need for free. The line to God is never busy. When we are puzzled with affairs of the world and our mind is racing Philippians 4:7 says “the peace of God, which passes all understanding will keep your heart and minds through Christ Jesus.” Spending hours in God’s Holy Bible gives us insight to our financial struggles (Malachi 3:8-10), solves our relationship problems (1 Corinthians 13: 1-13); and allows us to experience real love that will never leave or harm us (John 3:16).

The world leaves us empty, but God fills us up. The world wants us to believe we have the answers. As we end today, we must answer the question. Will we continue to spend endless hours with a god(idol) who leaves us empty or will we begin now spending time (2 Timothy 2:15) in the Holy Bible? In the Holy Bible there is everything we need. When we leave our made up idol gods alone, the one true Holy God is waiting for us.

This month we’re talking about our culture of idolatry and how it affects our lives. Read our last blog!