What Are You Searching For?
It’s easy to connect to our devices. When we need to go searching for something, help is there at our fingertips. And so is God. Are we searching for Him?
The year: 1983. I was a 4-year old pigtail and hand-me-down wearing, Barbie lovin’, giggly little girl. I was completely oblivious that January 1 of this year was the official birthday of the internet. Heck, I didn’t even know what a computer was.
I did, however, know what the Encyclopedia Britannica was since we had an entire bookcase in our home lined with the complete set of 34, thick, reddish-brown, hard-covered books of knowledge.
The encyclopedia was what we 80’s kids knew. Our search engine was our fingers thumbing through the pages of alphabetical topics written in concise detail. We cited the facts on our homework assignments the old school way… (Encyclopedia Britannica, 20th Edition, Volume 943, page 12,000).
The encyclopedia gave us a workout as we carried these massive books to and from the kitchen table. It also gave us a scientific prospective of subjects like human anatomy and the “birds and bees”.
When my family finally got a computer in our home, accessorized with a modem, my world was made bigger by the broad realm of knowledge at my fingertips. Goodbye Brittanica, hello dial-up!
The wait for internet connection was unnerving. I remember impatiently drumming my fingers on my parent’s desk waiting for the magnificent final ding signaling connection was successful.
Isn’t it funny how we now live in a world where an hour off the grid feels like an episode of Survivor? Our mentality is “must-know-now”. Instead of having to wait for a connection with the world wide web, we have replaced our connection to the outside world with the internet and texting. Doctors’ offices, political parties, scammers, and Grandma are the only calls that come in. And searches are now conducted at warp speed with more info and opinions than you ever need to know.
So what are we searching for?
Daily search trend listings tell all. The most searched words by volume worldwide show that social media searches gain the most traffic with porn, Amazon, Netflix, maps, more porn, and weather being at the top of the list.
In the US, the Top 20 most searched for topics of the day tells us that overall sports and celebrities rule our thoughts.
Mostly sports. Gotta know the channel, the score, watch the highlights, and then look up player stats.
Celebrities. Most of them I haven’t even heard of. Probably because they were sports people. It’s instant gossip at your fingertips.
School shooting news came up this week along with a few political happenings. But UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships) far, FAR outranked world news.
Would you be surprised to know that none of the trending search lists, however, had the following terms?
God, Jesus, church, Bible, or anything of the like.
In a world that needs Jesus, the world sure doesn’t seem to be searching for him.
How about you? What are you searching for?
If your heart and thoughts were searched, would God trend at the top of your list? Are you searching for Him? Are you searching to know Christ more?
I will confess… in our home, technology is used a lot. Every day we ask our smart technology to tell us the weather and play songs. We trust our devices with our family calendar. And we often rely on Google to break up sibling squabbles on football stats.
It’s easy to connect to our devices. They enhance our lives with knowledge. They keep our lives on track, connect us with the world, and entertain us. Everything we need is compactly encompassed in the sleek styling of our smartphone. Well, almost everything.
Everything, but God.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my Bible apps. They keep me on track with reading plan reminders and a daily scripture verse. They provide accountability with friends and allow us to always have our Bible in hand. And being able to look up topics by keyword in the Bible… invaluable!
But technology can also make our time with God another checkbox. Another thing to quickly do in between notifications or at a stoplight. When we do that, are we really giving God our full attention?
Today, friend, I challenge you to search for God with no technology.
Search through His word, like a kid from the 80’s with no internet. Listen to the crisp sound of the scritta paper as your personal search engine (a.k.a. your thumb) flips through the delicate pages of the Bible. Notice how the smooth, lightweight pages feel in your fingertips. Be fully present in your time with God.
Allow Him to speak to you and to search your heart as your search for Him. Turn on your Holy Spirit notifications so He can reveal himself to you.
Stop searching for the things in this world to entertain you and fulfill you. Start searching for God in each moment. His celebrity status will never fade. His team will never lose. And His search requires no Wi-Fi.
Take some time today and ask yourself, “How would my life and focus change if I changed the focus of what I am searching for?”
Alisha
Moms, do you ever just want mom-life to be easier? Alisha helps moms simplify their lives and homes! Out with overwhelm, in with ease! Visit MsAlishaCarlson.com for ways to stop living in survival mode and start living out your God-given passions adventurously! Also, check out Alisha’s podcast, Real Mom Talk, a show that brings a little sanity, help, and humor to the insanity we feel as a mom!
