Babel (1): TechnologyTechnology is an integrated part of our lives. Technology is always running in the background of our lives. Each one of us has a relationship with technology. Technology is a part of our lives and our world—we can’t get rid of it completely. How do we interact with technology in a way that both acknowledges how important it is to us, but doesn’t make it too important?
At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words (Genesis 11:1 NLT).
As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world” (Genesis 11:2-4 NLT).
But the LORD came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”
In that way, the LORD scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the LORD confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world (Genesis 11:5-9 NLT).
“One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they’ll come up with next—they’ll stop at nothing! Come, we’ll go down and garble their speech so they won’t understand each other” (Genesis 11:6 MSG).
The bricks weren’t the problem—the intent of the people was. You and I have a choice about what to do with our “bricks.” We have to decide how technology plays into our lives. How we relate to the things God has given us can get distorted. For a lot of us, we have never stopped long enough to think about our relationship with technology. How you have decided to use technology tells a lot about the role you have allowed it to play in your life.
Are you using technology for good or evil?
Are you allowing technology to have too much ownership of your time and attention?
Have you allowed technology to become your life and in some ways replace God?
What is your relationship with technology?
Bottom Line: Every one of us has a relationship with technology.