Sync In Progress
So I have this thing...it's called an iPhone. That thing and I are inseparable. I use it for EVERYTHING. Shall I even begin to list my most used apps? Top of the list: Text Messenger, Instagram, E-mail, Safari (and previously Facebook Messenger, but I have been weeding out some waste in my life...and freeing up some precious memory space!), but not to exclude the indispensable ones: Calendar, Maps, Photos, Clock, Notes...even Flashlight! Without this pocket-sized device...where would I put my weekly agenda? Or how would I ever find a Hobby Lobby in Indianapolis on girls weekend? Not to mention what other alarm clock could wake me up in the morning (or not succeed in waking me up in the morning)? And how would I ever fit my DSLR camera in my back pocket?! And who actually carries a flashlight anymore?? I digress.
Not only does it have all of these qualities and applications, but when I plug my all-too-precious information into my trusty 7-year-old Apple computer (starting to get ancient in Apple world), it SYNCS my iPhone to itself. They become one and the same. Harmonized. In tune. I just plug it in, and away it goes...sync in progress. My iPhone only holds so much memory, so all those bytes and gigs (and other things I just pretend to understand) are stored and secured in my computer. I put what I need and use on my iPhone, and take it with me in my LTE and 3G networks. No wifi even needed these days. But it wouldn't be complete without my computer (trust me, my husband has tried it...). My information and resources would be limited to the memory I have on my phone and I wouldn't be able to back it up anywhere.
Ok...so I obviously have some serious attachment issues with my iPhone (doesn't all of America?!), but that's a separate blog post entirely...
BUT what if I used this attachment to help me understand what it means to be in sync with God? What if my iPhone represented my life and my computer it linked to represented God; my quiet time being the charger cord to plug into the sync process. Perfectly in sync. His photos, my photos. His music, my music. His contacts, my contacts. His agenda, my agenda. His apps, my apps.
Speaking of apps, if my life is completely synced with God, then it will directly influence every part of my life. I made some examples for the following apps:
Phone App - My prayer life...it's called a good old fashioned phone call...who does that anymore? Do we even make personal prayer time a priority anymore? A quick text or voicemail may seem more convenient at the time...but this personal "call" is so much more important to be in sync with Him.
Text Messenger - I like to journal my prayers. It is a great way for me to have my prayer written down and saved so I can go back and read what God has done in my life, how He has answered, and what conversations we have had.
Calendar - My daily/weekly/monthly agenda...you find out a lot about a person by looking at their agenda...what am I doing throughout my day, what events do I have scheduled in my week, how am I serving Him throughout the month? Is my agenda, His agenda? Are they linked?
E-mail - Connecting with other people...am I taking time to have intentional conversations with others...and does God approve of those interactions and conversations? Is He the source of them?
Maps - Looking to Him for which path to take. I once told my mom, who was not real sold on the GPS idea, "TRUST THE GPS"...either do what it says or don't, because if you add your own routes or think you know a better way in the midst of the directions, you are not going to get where you are wanting to go...or you're going to make it a whole lot harder.
Photos - Being careful what pictures (i.e. tv shows, movies, internet sites, lingering looks, images, or even thoughts) I am putting in my mind. "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Philippians 4:8
iTunes - Is what I am listening to synced with what God would want me to listen to?
Bible App - How much Scripture am I putting in my mind each day?
Kindle App - What resources and books would Christ have on my to-read list?
Instagram/Faceboook/Twitter - Sharing my faith with the world...being bold and intentional to show what God is doing in my own personal life and family.
Flashlight - Allowing God to expose the sin in my life with His perfect light and to shine His light through me as I interact with the world.
I pretty much feel helpless if I leave my phone at home. Okay, that's an understatement. I go crazy if I don't have it. Like I said, it's my watch, my calendar, my alarm, my communication, my flashlight...some people even have their credit cards on their phones...literally EVERYTHING can be on an iPhone. Remember the time when NO one had a cell phone? How did we ever find directions or call home when we forgot our grocery list? (insert sarcasm here) But after having one for 10 years, I cannot imagine not having my phone now and I never really want it to try it.
So what if I had this same mentality in my spiritual life? What if I synced my life - every aspect of my life - to Him...perfectly in tune: never leaving Him at home, always using Him, checking Him for everything - my agenda, my direction, my contacts, what I choose to look at, listen to, read, and say. Also, asking Him what updates I need in my life. There is always an update to keep up on with my iPhone. Changes always come from this...things I have to get used to in this "new version". This is sometimes why people do not want to get the update - because they are so comfortable in their "old version" that they don't want to change. How much the same for me! Much to my dismay, there is ALWAYS something I need to work on in my life. I'm finding I am never "off the hook". As much as I want to finally master this thing called life, each time I am "updated" and am confronted by my sin; and I strive for obedience in it, I discover changes (that are hard to get used to at first) that only make my life in Christ better and better.
There was a time that I did not have an iPhone, just as there was a time that I did not have Christ in my life. Now, I cannot imagine my life without Him. I long to be in-tune and in-sync with Him on a daily basis. I know this is an on-going process because I will never master the sin in my life...only Christ did that for me on the cross. But I know that if I plug in to Him each day with personal prayer and really studying His Words in Scripture, every aspect of my life will be affected and improved by His grace and love. My sync with Him is is definitely in progress here on Earth, but I look forward to the day that I see Him face to face and my life will say "Sync Complete".
Most of these ideas were inspired by our current church sermon series called In Sync: Linking Your Heart with God's. You can listen to them online at http://www.crossroadsefc.com/sermons/
Not only does it have all of these qualities and applications, but when I plug my all-too-precious information into my trusty 7-year-old Apple computer (starting to get ancient in Apple world), it SYNCS my iPhone to itself. They become one and the same. Harmonized. In tune. I just plug it in, and away it goes...sync in progress. My iPhone only holds so much memory, so all those bytes and gigs (and other things I just pretend to understand) are stored and secured in my computer. I put what I need and use on my iPhone, and take it with me in my LTE and 3G networks. No wifi even needed these days. But it wouldn't be complete without my computer (trust me, my husband has tried it...). My information and resources would be limited to the memory I have on my phone and I wouldn't be able to back it up anywhere.
Ok...so I obviously have some serious attachment issues with my iPhone (doesn't all of America?!), but that's a separate blog post entirely...
BUT what if I used this attachment to help me understand what it means to be in sync with God? What if my iPhone represented my life and my computer it linked to represented God; my quiet time being the charger cord to plug into the sync process. Perfectly in sync. His photos, my photos. His music, my music. His contacts, my contacts. His agenda, my agenda. His apps, my apps.
Speaking of apps, if my life is completely synced with God, then it will directly influence every part of my life. I made some examples for the following apps:
Phone App - My prayer life...it's called a good old fashioned phone call...who does that anymore? Do we even make personal prayer time a priority anymore? A quick text or voicemail may seem more convenient at the time...but this personal "call" is so much more important to be in sync with Him.
Text Messenger - I like to journal my prayers. It is a great way for me to have my prayer written down and saved so I can go back and read what God has done in my life, how He has answered, and what conversations we have had.
Calendar - My daily/weekly/monthly agenda...you find out a lot about a person by looking at their agenda...what am I doing throughout my day, what events do I have scheduled in my week, how am I serving Him throughout the month? Is my agenda, His agenda? Are they linked?
E-mail - Connecting with other people...am I taking time to have intentional conversations with others...and does God approve of those interactions and conversations? Is He the source of them?
Maps - Looking to Him for which path to take. I once told my mom, who was not real sold on the GPS idea, "TRUST THE GPS"...either do what it says or don't, because if you add your own routes or think you know a better way in the midst of the directions, you are not going to get where you are wanting to go...or you're going to make it a whole lot harder.
Photos - Being careful what pictures (i.e. tv shows, movies, internet sites, lingering looks, images, or even thoughts) I am putting in my mind. "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Philippians 4:8
iTunes - Is what I am listening to synced with what God would want me to listen to?
Bible App - How much Scripture am I putting in my mind each day?
Kindle App - What resources and books would Christ have on my to-read list?
Instagram/Faceboook/Twitter - Sharing my faith with the world...being bold and intentional to show what God is doing in my own personal life and family.
Flashlight - Allowing God to expose the sin in my life with His perfect light and to shine His light through me as I interact with the world.
I pretty much feel helpless if I leave my phone at home. Okay, that's an understatement. I go crazy if I don't have it. Like I said, it's my watch, my calendar, my alarm, my communication, my flashlight...some people even have their credit cards on their phones...literally EVERYTHING can be on an iPhone. Remember the time when NO one had a cell phone? How did we ever find directions or call home when we forgot our grocery list? (insert sarcasm here) But after having one for 10 years, I cannot imagine not having my phone now and I never really want it to try it.
So what if I had this same mentality in my spiritual life? What if I synced my life - every aspect of my life - to Him...perfectly in tune: never leaving Him at home, always using Him, checking Him for everything - my agenda, my direction, my contacts, what I choose to look at, listen to, read, and say. Also, asking Him what updates I need in my life. There is always an update to keep up on with my iPhone. Changes always come from this...things I have to get used to in this "new version". This is sometimes why people do not want to get the update - because they are so comfortable in their "old version" that they don't want to change. How much the same for me! Much to my dismay, there is ALWAYS something I need to work on in my life. I'm finding I am never "off the hook". As much as I want to finally master this thing called life, each time I am "updated" and am confronted by my sin; and I strive for obedience in it, I discover changes (that are hard to get used to at first) that only make my life in Christ better and better.
There was a time that I did not have an iPhone, just as there was a time that I did not have Christ in my life. Now, I cannot imagine my life without Him. I long to be in-tune and in-sync with Him on a daily basis. I know this is an on-going process because I will never master the sin in my life...only Christ did that for me on the cross. But I know that if I plug in to Him each day with personal prayer and really studying His Words in Scripture, every aspect of my life will be affected and improved by His grace and love. My sync with Him is is definitely in progress here on Earth, but I look forward to the day that I see Him face to face and my life will say "Sync Complete".
Most of these ideas were inspired by our current church sermon series called In Sync: Linking Your Heart with God's. You can listen to them online at http://www.crossroadsefc.com/sermons/
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