The Bottom Line, Ministries Christian News, Articles, & Poetry 
Are you stuck in the cell-phone cycle? You promise yourself that you don’t need it. It’s just a simple tool connecting you to the outside world that is not always necessary. Yet you cannot seem to disconnect yourself long enough without having sweat bead up on your forehead or in the palm of your hands. What is a teen to do? A text tone tips you to a new message. Do you answer it right away or let it sit there blinking its “new message” status light?
Chances are that if you are like most teens, the desire to find out who is behind the blinking is greater than the urge to remain calm, cool, and ignore the demand to respond immediately to the questioner.
Are you becoming a slave to such technology? Do you desire to be free from the frenzy? If so, I suggest that you detox yourself starting with minimizing the frequency to which you immediately respond to messages. How about leaving your phone behind for one day to help establish a new habit. Impossible you say! No, not if you make a conscious effort and decision to break away from the slave master.
Take a look at Daniel. Here is a teen who was taken from his homeland and forced to obey a new master, King Nebuchadnezzar. Not only was the king a little arrogant, but also highly demanding calling forth the smartest, best looking, and fastest learners to become his own personal slaves of the palace. They were to eat only the finest foods, drink the most delicate drinks, and enter into a three-year training program on how to become a proper slave to the king.
“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” (Daniel 1:8)
Daniel chose to obey his true master, God, while at the same time refusing the potential distractions that would weaken his body.
The more time you spend submerged into an online world of conversation, the more you will miss from what is happening right around you. Will you become like Daniel and chose the real master to obey or will you continue to be a slave to messenger?
Renee,
I like the old, simple phones where you just dial numbers and answer calls. Phones have gotten too complicated for me. I think there are millions of apps out there now and I can quite figure out how these kids text so fast. Seems like it would be easier to just dial your friend and tell them the message.
Anyway, I love the connection you made between Daniel and how we should be when it comes to technology. Just because it’s new and shiny doesn’t mean it’s better. We should focus our energy more on the Lord and what His plans are for us. Thanks so much for sharing. God bless.
I have seen teens walk around with the phone in their hand, not laying it down for even a second. It HAS become an addiction to some. I don’t think some teens realize how much they are allowing their phone to control their lives. As you say, the only way that is going to change is to use some discipline and leave their phone home at times. They might begin to see that life will continue without it.