Cut Off Your Hand?

     

     Matthew 5:30 states, “And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Those are some pretty strong words if you think about it literally…. “cut it off and throw it away.” But if you look at the alternative of eternity in hell then maybe that is something more appealing. I remember when my pastor gave a sermon where he shared the story about his son Jonah asking him to turn on the light in their car which revealed a splinter in his hand. As Pastor Vic continued the sermon he related how God IS the light which reveals our splinters, our sin. As I was listening it was almost as if the sanctuary got dark and a single beam of light shone down right to my hand. What was in my hand?…my cell phone. Only this was no splinter…it was a gaping wound, festering, seething.
   

     Since the dawning of the Smartphone society has become more productive, and more distracted. You see, it is easy to become entranced in something that has all sorts of bells and whistles. That is also how the enemy works. For these devices there is an App for everything, including a Bible. In some ways I felt that since I had this App I was an even better Christian because if I didn’t have my hard copy Bible, I could use my phone and BOOOOM….I was in the WORD! I would even cut and paste scripture to Facebook and think I was doing God and others a service. However, I soon became engrossed in other Apps and my cell phone Bible began collecting dust. You know, it even had pop-up reminders encouraging me to read. And I would close out the window not even thinking twice about it. I would consume my time playing games, scrolling through social networks, reading and looking at things that began to drive a giant wedge between my heart and God. 

     So sitting in the sanctuary I looked down at my hand holding my cell phone….and I began to cry. I cried because I heard God say, “Matthew, you don’t need this (the phone) to talk to me.” It was at that moment that I knew I had to cut off my hand and throw it away. As soon as I walked in the door to our home I sat down and prayed for God to show me what to do next. Now as much as I would have liked to give up my phone God knew that I still needed it to communicate. But I began deleting any App that God revealed was a distraction. Facebook; gone. Games; gone. Google; gone. Delete, delete, delete as I scrolled through the pages. What remained was a very expensive paperweight with a plethora of ringtones. And I felt my gaping wound begin to heal. In the weeks that followed I read devotional reading plans included in my digital Bible and when I would reach for my phone to “be connected” to the world I was quickly reminded I had cut my hand off and instead I used that time to pray. As time went by I noticed I didn’t miss those things much. In fact weeks later I became sickened when I logged onto Facebook from my computer and scrolled through a few statuses.

     I am not making a claim that all technology is evil, or that even cell phones are sinful. God shed His light on MY splinter and I had a choice to make: “19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God” (John 3:19-21). I know I still have much to learn, but I know that God is my source of light in this world and He will always come through and shed light on my path. I have a responsibility as a Christian to live the word that God has given us through the gift of his son, Jesus. This is not a New Year’s resolution…it is a new life resurrected.

     Papa, I thank you for revealing my weaknesses so that you may strengthen me with your word, not the words of this world. Thank you for the love and grace you continue to show me when I fail you time and time again. You are the example of the father I want to be. Forgive me for not trusting you more and becoming distracted when you are right in front of me. Help me to be a more godly man, husband, and father. May my life be the proof of your love. In the name of Christ I pray, Amen.