Are you there, God? Or is it just the algorithm?
“Look at the world through the lens of Scripture, not Scripture through the lens of the world.”
I don’t know who wrote this quote, but it bounced around in my head for months as I tried to figure out exactly how we, as humans, could possibly do that. How are we supposed to take something so ancient and apply it to the issues and circumstances in our lives that feel so new?
I talked it out with my pastor and Bible study group. I talked it out with my husband. I prayed about it. And I think I finally get it. Here are my thoughts:
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From my perspective, we are inundated with messaging more than ever before. It’s hard to know what’s from God and what’s not. I’ll go as far as saying that it’s hard to know what’s from God and what’s from an algorithm. It can be easy to misunderstand a sign when you’re getting pop-ups, messages, emails, and even commercials about something.
For me and all the wise counsel that I sought when trying to understand this quote, we found that it’s best to take it to the Man Upstairs. I pray about something, try to link it up with Scripture, and pray more on it to make sure whatever it is is actually from God. There are lots of times I don’t get this right. I think things are from God, and they’re not, and then my little human heart gets broken. I call it the difference between “divine intervention” and the “devil’s intention.”
Just as this quote would not leave my thoughts alone, modern messaging won’t leave us alone. It’s yet another battle we face as we try to live out the life God called us to long ago. So when those messages feel loud, let’s focus instead on the Fruit of the Spirit. We can use them to help reel in the bad thoughts and open up a way for the good to take over – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things… Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” – Colossians 3:2 + 12 (NIV)
If this resonates with you, I’d love it if you read the first chapter of my new book, MomDentity™. In it, I dive deeper into this topic. Sign up for my newsletter to get your copy!