We can dig with our hands, but a shovel makes the job much easier. Of course, we can also use a shovel to bring harm. But this is an issue of the heart and not the tool itself.
Perhaps such considerations are easier to make with the tools of a farmer. But the principle holds regardless of the technology being considered. While there’s danger in the tools we use, we should not let fear hold us back from leveraging them for good.
For instance, both vehicles and the Internet can allow for greater connection or distance between us depending on how they’re used. Books might also expand our knowledge or distort our thinking. Likewise, computers and their various applications might make our work more efficient, or make us more lazy and dumb.
It’s tempting to throw the baby out with the bathwater when we see bad applications of tools. But the better approach is growing in wisdom – learning to leverage these tools to work for our good and to fulfill the calling God has given us.
For example, how might the latest technological advancement help us to work smarter and not harder? This doesn’t mean we must readily adopt every new thing that comes out. Many times there’s a quality to the old ways that cannot be easily reproduced. At the same time, we don’t have to shut down considerations of the new just because it’s different. Our task is to thoughtfully consider if this tool can help us to accomplish the work God has given us without losing our souls along the way.
The point here is less about efficiency and more about stewardship. The output of our work doesn’t matter when we’re not able to do so with God while also being conformed into the image of Christ. All the same, we’re not being wise stewards when we effectively bury the opportunities given to us in fear of how they might be used.
In the end, use all the tools available to you to advance the good God has given you. Take wisdom with you without living in fear.
Photo by Hennie Stander on Unsplash
