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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