Waiting For The New iPhone


This week’s buzz was all about the new iPhones that Apple is releasing. Everyone was waiting for September 10 to hear the news and find out exactly what these new phones would be like.  I heard of one guy who waited five days outside of an Apple store just to get in and hear the announcement firsthand. Now people are waiting for the phones to hit the market so that they can get their hands on one and have the latest phone for themselves.  And, that includes me!

I’ve never actually waited in anticipation for a new phone, but the story goes like this: I still have a Blackberry Curve, which is now over two years old.  At the time I thought it was great. I haven’t been feeling that way, of late.  I’ve known for a while, it’s time to turn in my Blackberry, but I didn’t quite want to spend the money for the upgrade. Then, for my birthday, a group of my ministry leaders, knowing my phone situation and having great compassion on me as their pastor, gave me a gift card to get an iPhone.  My instinct was to go out immediately and purchase the iPhone 5. We realized, however, that the iPhone 5S was about to come out on the market, sometime in the next month.  So now, with all the discipline I can muster, I’ve joined the ranks of people across the country, and the world, waiting to purchase the newest iPhone. In fact, I’ve been pretty much counting down the days to when I will turn off my Blackberry for good and make my first phone call, download my first App, and take my first picture with my brand new iPhone 5S! (Oh, I sound so pathetic!!) 

We all tend to be like this, don’t we?  We like the latest and greatest.  We want the newest and shiniest, the coolest and hottest! And, we wait with great anticipation for the day they will become ours.  We use the excuse that our gadgets make our lives easier, but we all know that is the furthest thing from the truth.  We say that these things are necessities; in reality we have created the need for a whole new level of items and gadgets that are far from being true necessities of life. We end up longing for, waiting for, and striving after more and more gadgets, things, and stuff. 

The Bible gives us a different set of things to be longing for, waiting for, and striving after.  Jesus tells us to “hunger and thirst after righteousness (i.e. justice).”  (Matthew 5:6). He says, we ought to “seek first his kingdom and righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33) He told his disciples to “wait for the gift my Father promised”—that is, the Holy Spirit.  Later on the Apostle Paul tells us that we ought to be waiting, “… for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ….” (Titus 2:13 – NIV)

I guess there is nothing wrong with anticipating getting a new iPhone. But, I wonder whether not we, including myself, have that same kind of longing for that which pertains to God’s kingdom—his righteousness, justice, and Spirit at work in our lives and world.  Do we know what it means to anticipate the “glorious appearing” of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?  Or have the desires of our hearts become limited to the newest and shiniest, coolest and hottest gadgets of our world?  

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”  (Colossians 3:1-2 – NIV)

Have a great day! 

Pastor Tim Harris

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