Seat Belts
Remember, I’m a geek so I’ve had communication devices (cellphones, smart cellphones, blackberry, etc.) for decades. In fact, I have anxiously pursued being the guinea pig when the companies I have worked for have wanted to test new technology. I remember 30 years ago hooking my company laptop into a phone outlet in our utility room (phone outlet was available for use) to remote access our company computer. It was painfully slow where you would enter something and must wait 30 seconds or so for it to be acknowledged at the company computer and displayed back on the laptop. My how things have changed.
Anyway, when blackberries came into vogue, I leapt at the chance to get one. Having access to my work email 24x7 gave me flexibility and options I’d never had before. That was the upside. The downside was that I was available almost 24x7 for work. To make matters even worse, I thought I could multitask while driving (this was way before it became illegal) by checking and responding to emails while driving.
Then the studies started coming out showing that people who use devices while driving had a similar impairment to drinking and driving. A similar type study that came out when I first started driving showing the decrease in mortality of those wearing seatbelts in accidents had convinced me to consistently wear my seatbelt. I quickly decided to not try to multitask with my device while driving. Of course, when it became illegal, my desire was much more defendable.
“He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God. The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle. They did not keep God’s covenant, but refused to walk according to his law. They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap. In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a fiery light. He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers. Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert.” - Psalm 78:5-17 ESV
“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” - Psalm 18:1-3
“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” - 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
Technology is great but I need to constantly remind myself that it is only a tool. Like any other tool, it can be used for good things or for bad things by the user. I pray that I will remember that and determine that I am the master of the tool and not the other way around.
