7 Days to Phone Freedomಮಾದರಿ

Master or Mastered?

Would you rather wait weeks or months for a letter from a friend across the globe or call that friend in a matter of seconds? Would you rather buy tomes of encyclopedias to learn about the world around you or access information on almost any subject with a few keystrokes?

Work. Play. Shopping. Entertainment. Education. Connection. That little supercomputer in your pocket does it all.

Technology is a blessing. We can even say it is a gift from God.

Yet, for all the benefits, there are also many dangers. These are well-documented in books, articles, and research papers. But, you may only have to look at your own smartphone habits to see the shadow side of this digital world.

So, answer honestly.

Do you own your phone? Or does your phone own you?

In 1 Corinthians 6:12, Paul says, “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything.”

Paul rebukes men in the Corinthian church who thought they could use their freedom in Christ for sexual immorality. They confused freedom with lawlessness. Using their own slogans, he teaches that true freedom is acting according to God’s commands, never contrary, and therefore, mastery over sin, not slavery to it.

To conclude his teaching, he reminds them that their bodies were bought by the blood of Christ. They belong to God. Therefore, everything they do with their body should glorify Him.

But, what does this have to do with smartphones?

This passage in 1 Corinthians doesn’t explicitly teach us about the benefits and dangers of our smartphone usage. But Paul, in his rebuke, identifies a problem that is common to all of us. This is a problem that humanity has struggled with since Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree—the problem of turning good things into god things.

In other words, idolatry.

Like the snake in the garden, an idol promises us wisdom and power—even the ability to be like God. The idols we trust today are made by human hands or ascribed power by human minds. But, in reality, they are only created things. They don’t have the power to save, satisfy, or sustain. Instead, they steal our time, energy, and LIFE!

Worst of all, they keep us from knowing and worshipping the one true God.

The Corinthians did it with their bodies, making their sexual desires god. You may be doing it with your phone, making your work, entertainment, or even your desire to be seen and loved the chief thing you live for. Your phone is the god you can carry in your palm.

Many physical, practical, and cultural situations reinforce your dependence on your phone. Those are real! We’ll even address a few of them in this 7-day devotional.

But, at the foundation, the problems you’re having with your phone aren’t just problems with your phone. The heart of the issue is misplaced worship. We, as Paul says, have “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25, ESV).

If you’re here, that means you’re ready to break the lies and rebuild your foundation on Christ. Recognizing your idolatry is the first step to health and wholeness. You are on the path to healing!

So, what can you do today?

Reflect. What are the positive and negative impacts of social media on you and your relationships? Has your phone usage interfered with your time with God or other relationships? How do you feel when you’re not with your phone? Are you ever away from your phone?

Confess. If you know your phone usage reaches into idolatry, confess your transgression to God. Because of the blood of Christ, “he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). He will help you turn away from sin and delight in His will again.

Worship. Remember who God is and all He has done! Read the Bible. Pray aloud. Dance and sing along with your favorite worship song. Experience the goodness of God, which far outweighs even the smartest smartphone.