Choosing God’s Way in a Tech-Driven World

There are several different places in the Bible that discuss our free will as humans. Galatians 5:13 (ESV) tells us, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” To expand on this idea, 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV) says: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Our lives are full of choices—the choice to do right over wrong, the choice to follow Christ or feed our flesh, and the choice to use the tools God has given us, like technology, for His glory or for selfish gain. We can spend hours scrolling through social media, wishing we had what others did (Exodus 20:17), or we can spend hours reading the Bible and sharing the gospel with others. The choice is ours; God gave us the freedom to choose.

The Bible on Free Will

Thacker (2020) explains that technology itself is not evil—people shape it through their intentions. Scripture supports this idea, and as Thacker explains, people have often turned something good into something bad through their actions. A relevant example of something like this happening today could be the law. The government uses their power not to protect or provide leadership (Romans 13:1–4), but to manipulate, cause harm, and control. Another example is SNAP benefits: the program started to help those in need, but many people have since widely abused it. Not everyone is abusing it, but a large number are, and because of their selfishness, it limits resources for people actually in need.

These things aren’t bad—people misuse them. Our choices and actions ultimately determine whether we use them for good. God gave us the freedom to choose: honor Him, or rebel against Him. Some people choose hate and toxicity where they could choose love, grace and kindness. I agree with Thacker’s perspective. The responsibility rests with us—not a man made object or technology—to make choices that reflect God’s love, justice, and wisdom.