July 11 is the date where the phone will be sold to public globally, including Australia (that's where I am!). Read the story here. Jobs said that Apple expects to sell 10 million phones by end of 2008. Wow!
I wonder if there is (should be) a distinct Christian approach to new gadgets like this. You know things like iPhone, iPod, Macbook, Wii, etc. Our fascination, and preoccupation, with cool toys such as this one is perhaps worth contemplating. I think these are the questions I would ask myself between now and July 11.
1. What really drives my desire to own (hold in my hands) an iPhone? If it is not strictly job-related reasons (I must have that iPhone to be able to do my job well), then what is it?
2. Does that desire reflect something deeper within my heart? An inner longing that I stupidly tried to fulfill with hi-tech gadgets?
3. Do I want to buy it because I want to project a certain image to others? ("Dude, he's got an iPhone 3G !!") To what extent my self-image is determined by the things I own, stuff I wear, gadgets I carry around my body?
4. Are there factors other than financial that should make me re-consider the purchase decision?
5. Will I get hooked onto the iPhone so much that I neglect my quality time with the Lord, with my wife and kids? Will iPhone enslave me and become my master?
6. Is there any temptation that I might fall into if I own iPhone? Self-pride, unwise use of time or pure sloth, illegal downloads, less sensitive towards the needy, more reliance on gadgets and less on God?
7. If the iPhone contract with the local network requires a two-year contract, can I afford it? Will it become a financial burden for me and my family?
8. More importantly, is there a better, more God-glorifying way to spend the money on?
9. Do I even pray and consult God before deciding to buy? Or does He only get "Lord, you know it's irresistible"
10. If I end up having it, am I ready to lose it without experiencing unnecessary negative emotions?
11. Will my relationship with Christ and efforts to be His witness to the world suffer in any way because of my ownership of iPhone?
12. What's gonna happen to me if I do not own an iPhone? Would Jesus use iPhone?
3 comments:
Ko, kaenya pergumulan banget yah about iPhone 3G-nya...harus smp sedalem itu mikirnya?
Tapi just cross my mind that I to rarely consult with God about "trivial" things (buying/borrowing/ etc), padahal mustinya consult jg yah
Im, mestinya kita emang buat biblically-informed decisions dalam segala hal. Kemarin malem aku ga bisa tidur, eh jadi kepikir soal itu. Kudu sering kagak bisa tidur kali baru bisa agak dalem2x gitu...
Hmmm, it'll take me years (or decades!) to put it into my "automatic decission making routine"
It feels like: koq kaya org plin-plan yg ga bisa bikin keputusan sih? hehe
Post a Comment