A Time to Text and a Time to Pray

One does not have to be a biblical scholar to know the scripture. 

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven;
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time for war, and a time for peace.   
                                          Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

 

We’ve heard this scripture read at funerals, at weddings and confirmations. The Birds even used these words to create a rock hit back in the late 60’s. If Soloman had been writing the book of Ecclesiastes in today’s world, maybe he would have added… there is a time to text, and a time to pray.

 

I sat in church this morning and could not help but notice the teenager sitting next to me in the pew checking his texts and e-mails non-stop throughout the church service. This went on throughout the entire service. I mean, he didn’t slow down for a minute!  I will give him credit, however, he never did actually pick up the phone and text anyone during the service. Let me also point out this is not just an issue with teenagers. I first saw this when I attended a memorial service for a man who had died very suddenly from a heart attack.  A very sad and emotional event for family members and most friends, but for one woman seated directly in front of me in the church, she had more important things to think about than this man’s life.  She, too, was glued to her cell phone throughout the service.

 

I like my cell phone.  I like the convenience of the technology and all that it provides for me, but there are times when I will leave it in the glove compartment of my car and/or yes, turn the damn thing off!  I am not a brain surgeon or cardiologist so the phone calls and texts I get are rarely of life and death matters.  Yes, if someone wants to reach me, I like to get their calls, but there are some times in my life when I choose to put life ahead of the technology.

 

Enough is enough.  Facebook, Linked-In, Plaxo, Twitter, Digg and all the rest of them, great, they may or may not have a place in your life.  But when it comes to our faith, real relationships with family members and ‘real’ friends (not the incidental contacts on Facebook who are looking for two bales of hay for some stupid online game?), maybe it’s time we put the cell phones down and concentrate on what matters most. I don’t think God meant for us to have our lives in the palm of our hands and quite frankly, my life is hardly my 4G Samsung Epic. 
If you cannot separate yourself from your cell phone for one hour a day, maybe it’s time you checked out your priorities. Did it ever dawn on you, maybe your life isn’t in the palm of your hand? 

Source: blog

Posted in faith, family, friends, life, technology and tagged , , , .

Harold “Bud” Boughton is a husband, father and grandfather who is often referred to as “the teaching coach.” A former senior executive, published author and professional speaker, Bud currently works for Shine.FM radio, a community-supported, not-for-profit Christian radio station affiliated with Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL. He will continue to work for Shine.FM in conjunction with his responsibilities as Co-Director of Team Focus – Indiana. You can reach Bud Boughton by calling 317-258-6372 or click here to leave him a message