Whether it’s a new app sweeping the nation, a brand-new must-have iPhone improve or a brand new approach to make use of digital actuality, expertise is advancing at lightning pace.

As utilization of digital units will increase, some Southern Baptist leaders are urging Christians to look at methods expertise could also be shaping them.

Jason Thacker, director of analysis and chair of analysis in expertise ethics for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), advised Baptist Press he believes expertise is now not merely a software we use, however one thing that’s altering how we view the world.

“Technology’s complexity, usefulness, growth and development often happen at an exponential scale,” Thacker stated. “This is the character of expertise and what we’re experiencing now will solely proceed to extend in some sense. Technology isn’t going anyplace.

“As expertise retains advancing, issues will turn out to be sooner, get complicated and extra linked. Digital units should not only a software that we use, however it’s a software that’s radically altering us.

“It’s shaping how we understand the nature of reality and truth, as well as how we connect in relationships. In a way, technology is discipling us. I think people are starting to wake up and see that something is not right about this.”

In his work with the ERLC, Thacker leads a analysis mission for the entity known as the Digital Public Square. The mission focuses on offering assets for Southern Baptist church buildings associated to navigating the ever-changing technological panorama.

Specific focus is given to points associated to free speech and non secular liberty.

He defined this analysis is necessary for ministry, as a result of expertise influences each space of life.

“Technology isn’t a separate set of issues that Christians have to address or think about. It’s an element of all of the other issues related to the Christian life and Christian ethics,” Thacker stated.

“Issues like marriage, sexuality, human dignity or justice, they are all affected by technology because we live in a digital society.”

In his ebook “Following Jesus in a Digital Age,” launched this 12 months, Thacker encourages Christians to make use of expertise in a extra sanctifying approach.

One of the principle items of recommendation he shares is for Christians to take their time in deciding methods to use expertise of their lives, and take steps to be a light-weight within the digital area.

“At the heart of technology is making things faster, but what we see throughout the wisdom literature is we are called to slow down,” Thacker stated. “Wisdom just isn’t gained in a single day. There just isn’t an app for that. There isn’t any on and off swap.

“It’s necessary for Christians suppose correctly and suppose deeply, and that’s going to return from slowing down and asking a few of these massive questions how that is shaping me and the way do I then stroll with knowledge and search to observe Jesus higher.

“Christians need to engage the culture for how it is, not as we want it to be. A digital society comes with a lot of unique challenges, but also a lot of unique opportunities, and I believe God’s calling us to step into these things and be a voice of hope, peace and of Gospel transformation in our communities.”

One Southern Baptist in search of to use this type of knowledge in his personal life is Jeff Mingee, regional strategist for the Southeast Region of the SBC of Virginia.

What started as a doctoral analysis paper whereas a pupil at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary grew to become a self-examination into the way in which he was utilizing expertise in his personal life.

The principal precept Mingee found is making use of Scripture to 1’s use of expertise, irrespective of how briskly it advances.

“There is definitely a danger for Christians to adopt technological advances in a worldly way with little or no thought as to will this glory God,” Mingee stated.

“We can’t predict the impact of technological developments on us – what’s going to the shaping affect of the iPhone in my life? I don’t know and no approach of realizing that. That’s a problem with technological advances is we will’t wait till we all know the result as as to if or not we’re going to undertake it. We both use it or not and navigate as we go.

“The need is for Christians to apply 1 Corinthians 10:31 to our digital habits, whether we are adopting technological advances or refraining from them.”

Mingee compiled a few of his ideas and analysis associated to expertise use in a ebook titled, “Digital Dominion: Five Questions Christians Should Ask To Take Control of Their Digital Devices.”

The ebook incorporates questions for Christians to look at expertise’s function of their lives and decide whether or not they’re controlling expertise or it’s controlling them.

“I have too much joy offered me in life to waste my life staring at a rectangle that fits in my hand,” Mingee stated. “There is an excessive amount of pleasure to overlook out on since you misused your gadget.

“I think our digital devices can fuel God-honoring joy in our lives, so I want to find ways to steward and use technology well.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Timothy Cockes is a Baptist Press workers author.)