High tech toys

Remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).

I like electronic devices—I really do. I can make calls on a cell phone. I can use a computer to check email, search for information, and write a sermon. But these machines have features that are beyond me. My computer has a spreadsheet program that I can’t begin to understand. My cell phone has tiny buttons—it amazes me that anyone can push them fast enough to send a text message. And I am always leery of buying new technology—remember the Betamax and 8 track tapes? How can you be sure that the technology you purchase today will be used for years to come? There is also the problem of depreciation. If you buy a new car, the moment you drive it off the lot its value drops tremendously. If you buy a computer or a high definition TV, it’s only a matter of months before something newer and better hits the shelves and the item you purchased tumbles in price, as happened to those who bought the first iphones.

Our consumer-driven economy urges us to buy whatever is the newest, fastest, or trendiest. The problem is that you can never stay caught up. There is always something coming out that is newer and has more features, eager to separate your money from your wallet. But what good is the newest thing if it has features you can’t use effectively? What do you do with the stuff it replaces? And how will you ever save money for tuition, a down payment, or for retirement?

When you have your eye on some new electronic item, it’s time to ask some important questions. First, what are your actual needs? Chances are that technology which has been around for awhile (and is now reasonably priced) will meet your needs just fine; don’t buy features that you don’t absolutely need. Second, consider the value you’re getting for your dollar; knowing that prices will come down over time, would it be better to wait six months or a year before making this purchase? But the most important question to ask is this: since God provided the money you are about to spend, will making this purchase please Him? If you buy this item, will it free up time so you can pray to God, worship in His house, or study His Bible more than you do now? If you make this purchase, will it help you to serve God better by showing love to the lonely, the frightened, the desperate? Will this device help the children God has given you to do better in school or bring the family together more often for quality time? If the answer is no, then it’s time to put away your wallet and pray to God instead.