My Phone: Good and Evil

 My wife was out getting a few things and I was outside playing with my kids as the warm sun hung overhead.  I grabbed my phone to check the time and without a thought pushed that blue square.  I had a notification.  That red number one had to be eliminated, so I clicked.  It was an invite to a page that a woman I went to high school with had invited me to join.

I shouldn't have clicked on that.  I didn't notice that page was an "only fans page".  Upon clicking there was the woman that was three years behind me in high school wearing a few pieces of floss.  I didn't need to see that and I declined the invite.  I got out but noticed the invite was still quickly accessible, so I thought I could swipe it to delete the request and avoid the temptation to see a nearly naked woman.  Whoops.  The swipe took me back to it and I had to back out again.

Meanwhile my kids continued to play.  I should have just kept playing.  I didn't do anything wrong by seeing the photo that was sprung at me, but I could have avoided the entire situation by remaining present with my kids.  

Our phones have the ability to access deeply sinful things.  I'm keenly aware of the pornographic power my phone has, and it terrifies me to think about my son having one some day.  I'm keenly aware when I'm on social media how tempted I am to be a jerk (you might not be surprised how quickly I think jerkish things and have to try not to type them).

Our phones can be boon and bane.  They can lead us into temptation, but they can also be used for great good.  

There are many ways in which my phone helps me.  I have less frustration and therefore my wife and I have fewer arguments thanks to GPS.  I'm better at my job thanks to instant information available from my pocket.  I'm able to talk to my sister in Australia face-to-face for free.  There are ways upon ways I can use my phone for good, but I want to highlight one easy good use for the phone.

My church has committed to spend 24 hours collectively in prayer on the first weekend of each month.  We sign up for times and we spend that time praying.  I've made my monthly prayer (so far) a time of prayer with my phone in my hand and I want to encourage you to try this some time.

I take the church directory and begin typing out my prayer for the person on that page in a text to them.  It's not anything extravagant, but just a paragraph or so of my prayer to God for them.  Then I send it.  That's it.  I don't try to make it through the directory, in fact I never get that far.  I set my timer on my phone for 30 minutes and have been surprised each time how short 30 minutes of this kind of prayer can be.  

Our phones are boon and bane.  I invite you to try my suggestion, or find another way, to use our phones to encourage and build up those we love.  

Try praying with your phone in your hand today.