How Devices Can Hinder Divine Presence In Your Family
In compliance with predictions of the Holy Bible that a time will come when knowledge shall increase (Daniel 12:4), knowledge has witnessed a geometrically drastic increase over the years, and will continue to increase.
Part of evidence of the increase, is advancements in technology that has resulted in the emergence of numerous technological devices such as mobile phones, ipad, telegram, the internet, tablets and various computerized devices.
These devices have many advantages such as communication, speed and efficiency, business prosperity and so on. Unfortunately, the most important institution in the society, which is the family, has had a significant share of the negative impact that technological devices breed.
I must state here that the problem of the family is not technological advancement. Rather, the problem is management failure on the part of users of such devices.
For any marriage or family to succeed, the presence of God must dwell in that home. Jesus Christ was given to the world to die for our sins and save us from it, after which, he dwells inside of us (John 15:5). So, his name is Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14), interpreted to mean, God with us. Once this presence is absent from a marriage or family, joy peace and success cannot be guaranteed.
One of today’s challenges in the marital institution is that many couples have used technological devices to drive away the presence of God from their homes.
For instance, because of economic pressure and the nature of jobs that you do, you hardly have quality time to spend with your spouse and share the bonding that marriage requires. Now, the little time that fate has provided for you is being spent on watching European League with your computer devices or phone. You are pushing God’s presence from your marital relationship, just because you have technological devices.
Your family gathers early in the morning for prayers. Rather than use paper (hard copy) Bible to study scriptures, you are holding your phone, ipad or other devices. It is true that the devices have Bibles you can read from; but children are very gullible and perception is like a stamp, difficult to delete. First, they are developing a mindset that hard copy Bibles are out of vogue while the use of modern computerized gadgets is all that determines civilization. The danger is this. You take them to church. The presiding clergy quotes a scripture. They bring out their phones and start charting on wassap or facebook in the name of reading Bible. At the end of the day, they go to church regularly without receiving any sermon from the church. As a matter of fact, they can’t even remember any topic of messages ever preached from the altar of the church you take them to regularly. Yet, they can tell you everything happening in the world of football and the life profile of illiterate popular musical artistes, entertainers and their marital relationships.
By the way, you bought them these devices. Your children sit in their rooms for hours, browsing through pornographic internet sites and possibly, charting away with all sorts of strange characters that are infectious to their destiny. You call their names and ask them what they are doing. They tell you they are reading the Bible from those devices. As they hear you approaching the room, they flip over to King James Bible to deceive you and pretend to be reading the Bible.
My dear, you have contributed to pushing away divine presence from your home with devices. Children do not have the mental and spiritual capacity to manage erroneous actions of guardians and parents. It is therefore advisable that you emphasize the importance and use of hard copy Bibles in your home, irrespective of what technological advancement offers, for the sake of your children’s character building towards godliness. Those who still have little children particularly, should take advantage of the counsel in this write-up.
Pressures from churches have even increased the task of parenting, as most churches now use digital screens to project scripture verses during sermon. In other words, there seems to be no need to go to church with paper Bibles any longer.
Don’t get it twisted. I am not anti-technology; but I know that if a policeman stops you on your way from the church during night hours or early hours of the day, and he asks for evidence that you are on your way from the church as claimed, you cannot present your computer device as evidence. A hard copy of the Holy Bible can save you from such trouble.
Besides, can you imagine using a device to read a Bible verse to your family members during morning prayers and suddenly, the device trips off or develops a fault? Does that not affect the sacredness of that prayer session? Does this not arguably, speak down on your level of reverence to the mightiness and supremacy of the God that you are standing before and sharing his word?
In any case, when you sit there, staring at your mobile phone during a family prayer meeting, how are the children sure that daddy or mum is not reading through some wassap message chart or even browsing to see something that has no connection with God, Bible or prayers.
When increase in addiction to technology draws you far way from personal relationship with your creator and your family’s relationship with God, there is danger in your future. Don’t hinder divine presence in your family because of devices.
It is true that there is a limit to which you can monitor your children since you don’t of a truth, go with them everywhere. However, the seed you plant from the home front, is very vital. More importantly, that is your divinely assigned duty. Parenting children or parental responsibilities go beyond ability to get pregnancy and deliver safely. Don’t allow devices to hinder divine presence in your family.
Based on the movies of betrayals, infidelity and deceit that they watch on TV almost every day, for all they care, daddy or mummy could just be using the opportunity of prayer meetings to search for or chart with sin partners like sugar mummy, sugar daddy, mistress or even, second wife.
Technological devices have negatively affected communication in the home and destroyed the bonding and love that binds mother, father and children together. Today, a couple lives under the same roof with their children but hardly communicate effectively in the interest of family bonding. Children are talking to dad and mom about their experiences in school and their homework, but parents are not listening. They are busy, surfing the net, nodding their heads as if they are listening. The children are complaining about some teacher that attempted to rape them or assault them sexually in school, some fellow students who are cultist and are attempting to lure them to join the cult, some maltreatment by someone, and so on. Parents are not listening because they are busy with their devices.
Your children are your future. What shall it profit you if you enjoy all the pleasures of technological devices and lose your future, including the investments you made in putting your children through school without being part of their schooling experiences? Please, don’t allow devices to hinder divine presence in your family.
It is foolish, shameful and unfortunate that today, someone is bearing malice with her legally married husband because he did not or could not buy her the type of car, mobile phone, ipad or some other device that she demanded for. Madam! You have chased away divine presence from your marriage because of ordinary technological device.
These days, the mealtime schedule is no longer stable. Your husband and children now stay hungry for a long time as the food comes out late from the kitchen It is not because you have some crazy job schedule, business or occupation. It is because you spend even the time that you should be cooking on typing. You are typing some useless instagram posts or playing on wassap and facebook, charting and gossiping. This is simply the mark of a foolish woman. A wise and virtuous wife “worketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness” (Proverbs 10:27).
My dear, you are pushing away divine presence from your home because of technological devices.
‘Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies” (Proverbs 10:1).
Some women have even left their husbands because someone offered them some technological device that their husbands could not afford. If you are such a wife, you are a disappointment to God because it took God a lot to create you, and send you on assignment to this world, part of which is to take care of, and support your husband to achieve his life vision. Your husband is that prince of God that you have been so divinely honoured to have. What you have done is shameful but you can repent and find mercy through the resurrection power of Jesus Christ.
“If thou shalth confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the grave, thou shalt be saved” Romans (10:9).
“Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).
Knowledge increased and produced technological devices. The devices came to help us draw closer to God and not to go farther from him. The spirit of self control makes the difference. When Christ’s spirit possesses your heart, you have self control. When you do anything that works against God’s glory in your family life or as regards your family, you are pushing away God’s divine presence and that is dangerous.
‘Whether therefore, you eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (2ND Corinthians 10:31)
When increase in addiction to technology draws you far way from personal relationship with your creator and your family’s relationship with God, there is danger in your future. Don’t hinder divine presence in your family because of devices.
I must state again that the problem of the family is not technological advancement. Rather, the problem is management failure on the part of users of such devices. Do not allow technology to ruin your home. Rather, rule over technology in your family relationship in order to achieve God’s purpose for your life, and enjoy your family, even at old age.
You can place an order for a copy of the book, MAKING YOUR MARRIAGE WORK by Albinus Chiedu. Your marriage shall be a blessing and a testimony in Jesus name.
FOR QUESTIONS, PRAYERS, COUNSEL, CONTACT
Pastor Albinus Chiedu
+234 8038117704
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