IPOD-Empowered Sanctification

December 29, 2006

Joe,

The title of this post is a funny one to me, because a short time ago I would have probably said that IPODs are an evidence of how unsanctified we are as a nation. As you know, the issues of how to deal with the technological innovations of our day and age is a difficult issue for Christians to deal with. On one extreme are those who are so ingrained in the ways of the world that they see nothing wrong with Christians who have all the same “toys” as the rest of the unbelieving world around them. They may give God thanks, but they live a life of total wordliness and materialism. Then on the other side you have people who totally reject all advancements in technology and look with scorn upon those who have the latest technological gadgets, like an IPOD.

Now you know that I tend towards the latter of these two extremes, and I strive to live a very simple life. So when I got an IPOD from my mom for Christmakkah (yes, that’s a combination of Christmas and Hanukkah for those Jews who have been born anew!) it was with mixed emotions. I wanted it for two reasons: to aid my times of personal worship during devotions, and to be able to listen to songs and sermons while I exercise. But on the other hand, I felt a bit “worldly”, and even felt a bit guilty for having one.

Then yesterday I went to the gym over at Rowan. I just got a membership for the winter months, and it was my first time to exercise with the IPOD. As I was stretching, in the gym they were playing some 80’s music (maybe early 90’s?), and a song came on that I think is called, “I want to be rich”. I want money, lots and lots of money, that was a repeated refrain in this song. And at that moment I was very grateful to have an IPOD, since I wouldn’t be subjected to listening to that garbage for my whole workout!

In Romans 12 Paul urges us to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” Transformation into the image of God comes by means of our minds being renewed. And it is very hard to have a mind renewed into the image of Christ when the mind is getting filled with messages telling us that lots and lots of money is the pathway to happiness.

So it was ironic to me that this new gadget which I thought was making me worldly actually empowered me to avoid worldliness by keeping me from listening involuntarily to music which would have polluted my mind with the wisdom of the world. Rather than feeling guilty about owning a new piece of technology, I now give God praise for blessing me with a gift to help me guard my heart and mind from the mind-numbing influence of secular, Christ-belittling music. And I must constantly be in prayer that God would always help me treasure Him more than an IPOD or any other good gift that He has blessed me with here in America.

By the way, the first song that came on when I turned my IPOD on was this one from Caedmon’s Call:

Before there was time,
There were visions in Your mind.
There was death in the fall of mankind,
But there was life in salvation’s design.
Before there were days,
There were nights I could not see Your face,
But the night couldn’t keep me from grace
When You came and took my place.

So I cry, “Holy, only begotten Son of God,
Ancient of Days.”
I cry, “Holy, only begotten Son of God.”
And sing the praises
Of the One who saved me,
And the promises He made.

Before there was time,
You counted the hairs on my head.
You knew all the words that I’ve said,
And You purchased me back from the dead.
And before I was made,
You searched me and knew my ways.
You numbered all of my days
And You set forth the steps I would take.

Well, You saved me.
And You raised me.
You saved me.
And You pulled me from the grave.

A far cry from “I want money, lots and lots of money…”, don’t you think?

Larry

Posted by Larry | Filed Under Random Musings