The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10
While stuck at a prolonged red light behind another car, a well-worn path in my brain was triggered. Maybe you’re familiar with it.
A little voice said,“Ah. Down time. Grab your cell phone.'”
With very little conscious thought, I snagged my cell from the cavern of my purse, touched a finger to the screen…took a quick glance up at the traffic light.
Red.
Okay, so I began to respond to a text message from a friend, then stole another glance at the light.
Still red.
I typed another letter.
Glance. And still red.
Another letter.
Glance. Sigh. Red.
Okay, then. Two more letters.
I peered at the light again and… woah! In the space of a heartbeat, it’d switched to green. The previously motionless car ahead of me had already lunged forward and sped down the road.
In a flash, I tossed my cell into the passenger seat.
“Drop your weapon,” came my snarled response, directed at, well, me.
On the short drive back home the phrase lingered in my mind.
Why did I refer to my cell as a… weapon? Now, had I been texting while in motion, I get that. The results could have been tragic.
But that thing can easily double as a weapon no matter where I am when I use it.
Thumbs tapping away at the screen keyboard, my brain pulsing with words, I’ve often paused to ask:
Okay, wait a second, Self. What’s the heart motivation behind the communication I’m about to send?
Does it draw a smile to God’s face?
My cell – your cell – was never meant to be a weapon, a tool to harm.
It’s a gift. Every day I am ever so grateful for the ease with which I can connect with my family and friends wherever I am, no longer limited by a landline. Consider the ability to call for roadside assistance if needed or to send words of encouragement to others.
Not only can my cell be a weapon against others but, by golly, that little piece of technology can do me harm, too. Prolonged time on social media, checking status, feverishly responding to a flood of email – giving very few of those incoming messages my undivided attention.
If my cell is to be used as a weapon, the real target should be Satan whose agenda remains clear:
Kill.
Steal.
Destroy.
What are you doing with the gift of your cell? Who might need an encouraging word from you today?
And please share how you’ve wrestled with this challenge and found success.
Pssst. Those who read to the end might have fun searching within this post for an obscure image of my debut novel cover, Call To Love 🙂