TECHNOLOGY AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT2 Technology and Spiritual Development Technology has fostered significant spiritual growth in my life. Millions of individuals have developed spiritually due to technology (Safta, 2018). There are multiple ways in which technology has helped me achieve several milestones in my spiritual growth. I have a tablet which contains some note taking apps. These help me to take notes whenever I attend a church sermon. This way, I can refer to the notes later. Referring to these sermons has helped me grow spiritually. Apps from my electronic devices also helps to manage my tasks through reminders. I am able to plan my day and have adequate time for bible study and listening to gospel worship songs. In addition, these apps help me to set goals and achieve them. This has contributed to self- improvement when it comes to time management. In a nutshell, these applications have enabled me to create more time for my spiritual nourishment. In the contemporary society there are Christian based blogs. There are also online videos on platforms such as YouTube that are Christian based. I often read such blogs and watch the videos. This has contributed to my spiritual growth. This is because I can easily browse on my Smartphone at any time and at any place. There are numerous Christian blogs on the internet that are helpful for any believer (Campbell, 2017). Examples of such blogs are Pastor Mark Driscoll blog, Bible gateway blog, Women of faith, Christian today, among others. Some of these blogs contain an online segment where you communicate to men and women of God on a live platform. Here, you can ask questions or share personal problems which are well addressed through the bible and prayer. Online video sermons by men of God such as Paul Washer, Max Lucado, and Timothy Keller among others are effective platforms for spiritual nourishment.
TECHNOLOGY AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT3 How technology has hindered my spiritual development. Although technology offers numerous platforms for spiritual nourishment, there are some disadvantages that are associate with it. There are certain ways in which it has hindered my spiritual growth. Despite my efforts of seeking God and drawing closer to Him, I sometimes feel like I continually draw further from His presence. Sometimes I wonder why. On reflecting, I have discovered that technology has to some extent contributed to a decline in my spiritual growth. This is through spending too much time on social media and other websites. Sometimes, I am completely carried away by these sites. This has made me spend hours on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, WeChat, among others. Influence of these media may hinder an individual from achieving consistent spiritual growth (Buie, 2018). The greatest enemy to spiritual growth is dedicating most of our time to worldly things (Ononogbu, 2019). Advertisements usually pop up when I am reading the bible online. These advertisements may capture and divert my attention. Let us suppose an advert concerns a piece of cloth that I admire. Here, I tend to focus on that piece of cloth being advertised by a dressing firm and end up losing focus on the word of God. It is important for Christians to learn to be rigid in faith. In addition, Christians should understand the negative aspects of technology and endeavor to avoid them.
TECHNOLOGY AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT4 References Buie, E. (2018).Exploring Techno-Spirituality: Design strategies for transcendent user experiences. New York: Routledge. Campbell, H. A. (2017).Religious communication and technology.Annals of the International Communication Association.San Diego: Spring Publishers. Ononogbu, D. C., & Chiroma, N (2019).Social Media and Youth Ministry. Seattle: Routledge. Safta, C. E. (2018).Spirituality in the Post Human Age: Digital Technologies and Screened Divinity.New York: Routledge.