Being a Christian on your phone can seem... difficult. You feverishly look through your Bible, but your Trailbook doesn't say anything about i-phone drama! ... or does it?
No, you won't find the name "Steve Jobs" in a Bible Concordance. No, you won't read about the disciples updating their Snapchat stories. And no, you won't discover that Jesus wore Beats. But the Bible does talk about what it means to be a Christian no matter where you are... even on your phone.
Spoken by Jesus, "The Sermon on the Mount" is the longest sermon in the Bible. The setting was exactly as it sounds: Jesus teaching a sermon on a mountain. (Check it out! Matthew chapters 5 through 7.) As Jesus' longest recorded sermon, what do you think the main topic was? Any guesses?
...
The main topic for the Sermon on the Mount was the Kingdom of God. This is not to be confused with heaven. Yes, heaven is a part of the Kingdom of God. But the Kingdom of God is the place where God's people are! That's us! We Christians are the Kingdom of God!
During this sermon, Jesus talks about what this Kingdom is to look like. Jesus is telling us how to live! (Read the Matthew 5-7 to hear His exact words.)
What Jesus teaches can be directly applied to our phones. God's Kingdom is anywhere His people are. If we are His people, and we are on our phones, then the Kingdom of God must be reflected on our phones as well!
“My biggest fear, even now, is that I will hear Jesus' words and walk away, content to settle for less than radical obedience to Him. ” - David Platt
Here are some ways we can apply the Sermon of the Mount directly to our phones...
1) SHINE CHRIST:
Matthew 5: 14-16 "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
As Christians on our phones, we should be shining Jesus Christ. We don't hide His light. We proudly show Him to the world. So share Him! Tell the world how great our God is! Social Media is the biggest mission field on the globe. So tell the world! Use this opportunity to shine and share Him! Declare the Gospel news in your stories, posts, likes, tweets, music, what you share. This is an amazing opportunity, so don't waste it! If Jesus is Lord of your life, someone should be able to tell by looking at your life (including your phone!)
2) OBEY CHRIST:
Matthew 5:19 "If you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven."
As Christians on our phones, we should be obeying Jesus Christ. He reigns over everything, even what we do on our phones. So our games, texts, pictures, etc. should please Him. Jesus' sermon goes on to define what this means: we are not to be angry, to lust, to seek revenge, to love money/covet wealth, to feel anxious, to judge others. The root is this- God should be in charge of your life, so obey Him off and on your phone.
3) GET RID OF SIN FOR CHRIST:
Matthew 5:29-30 "If your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. "
As Christians on our phones, we should get rid of anything causing us to sin. If there is an app or a contact or a song or anything you know of that leads your heart to the wrong place, get rid of it! Delete it off your phone. If that won't work, tell a mentor or trusted friend you are struggling with something, and ask him/her to hold you accountable! And if you think that won't do the trick, get rid of your phone altogether! This may seem a bit dramatic, but it is what Jesus told us to do. "If your hand—even your stronger hand— [MODERN TRANSLATION- if your phone, even an i-phone!] causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. "
4) LOVE LIKE CHRIST:
Matthew 5:43-47 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."
As Christians on our phones, we should love everyone like Christ. Perhaps you have enemies... but I doubt it. Or at least, you don't call them that. However, you do have those people who annoy you, who frustrate you, who you strongly disagree with, and who take so many selfies you question if they have time for anything else in life. So what should we do? Jesus tells us to pray for them. Pray for them to find their identity in Jesus, and not ideas or selfies or being a bit of a bully. Also pray for your heart- that you would have greater love for them.
5) PRAISE CHRIST (AND NOT SELF):
Matthew 6:1-2 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will get..."
As Christians on our phones, we use our phones to praise God... not ourselves. If you are using your phone to make yourself known and seem great, you are making yourself a god, and not letting God be God. So whether this is bragging to the world about your being in the National Honors Society, or taking a million snaps to show how fine you look, or even tweeting about all the good work you do for Jesus, ask yourself this question: "Am I trying to make me look great, or am I trying to show how God is great?"
6) TREASURE CHRIST:
Matthew 6: 19-21 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be..."
As Christians on our phones, Christ should be our treasure (and not our phones/friends/music/popularity/games/etc.) You may think to yourself, "Well of course my treasure is God and not those things." But pause and ask yourself, "How do I spend most of my time? On what do I spend most of my money? What do I daydream about the most?" That is your treasure...
7) CAST YOUR CARES ON CHRIST:
Matthew 6: 25-30 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?"
As Christians on our phones, all of our worries, desires, wants, needs, hopes and dreams can be given to Jesus. Looking at your phone can be hard as you see your friends have cooler shoes or expensive headphones or more likes on their post. You can begin to feel jealous, insufficient, not good enough, or even unloved. But as Christians, you can bring every single one of these hurts to Christ because of the cross. He cares about everything, even your clothes! You can cast your cares on Him. So next time you see something on your phone that hurts you, tell God. Ask Him for what you need. If He gave His very life for you, don't you think He can care for that need?
8) LEAVE THE JUDGEMENT TO CHRIST:
Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged."
As Christians on our phones, we are not supposed to judge others, but leave judgement to God. But what is judgement? Judgement is having a spirit that is critical. If you are constantly critical of others, sharing your cranky thoughts, or always annoyed with others on your phone, you are probably judging them. And it needs to stop. (Important Note: Judgement is not the same thing as discernment. Discernment is the wisdom of recognizing something is evil or wrong in the eyes of God. Judgement is being critical in spirit. There is a big difference. If you discern someone is hurting themselves, you have the obligation to help. But if you are critical of someone's appearance or style, that isn't helpful. That is just mean.)
9) ONLY CHRIST:
Matthew 7:13-16 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act."
As Christians on our phones, we must not get distracted by lies, but remember the only one Truth. The Bible teaches us Jesus alone is the way, the truth, and the life. No one can be with God except by Jesus. However, your phone (or rather, your friends, media, the news, etc.) will intentionally and unintentionally try to distract you. Whether through another religion or just making other things seem more important, it is easy to get caught up in in other beliefs. We forget our life is about knowing Christ.
10) SEEK CHRIST:
Matthew 7:13-14, 22-25 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [...] “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock."
As Christians on our phones, we are to be constantly seeking Christ. Perhaps the hardest verse to read in the Bible is this: "Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter." Do you truly know Jesus? Are you seeking Him? Are you sure of that? This isn't meant to scare you, but to encourage you to keep pursuing Him, wherever You are, even on your phone. Build your life upon Christ. Off and on your phone, seek Christ alone as your God.
Kommentare