Before You Buy The iPhone 6

When Apple announced on September 9 the release date for it’s latest mobile device, the iPhone 6, it drew major crowds of excitement. The company took hold of even more attention at the announcement of the Apple Watch. Some people were just born to be haters so they didn’t like anything Apple CEO Tim Cook had to say. Others are pure Apple fans. One of my good buddies told me, “I don’t even care how much it costs, I just want one.” Like many, I get just as excited. Often times too excited.

An Apple A Day?

There are many different avenues you may be thinking of in order to get the latest gadget from Apple. If you closely analyze and weigh the pros and cons of big purchases, you may have already written down a list of good reasons why you should be getting the new iPhone. There’s the bigger screen, more storage, better camera, new features, or you just think you deserve an upgrade.

Maybe you’re thinking of trading in a few “older” devices for some store credit. Maybe you will be changing mobile carriers. Or perhaps, you are just dropping a few hundred dollars to buy it at full price. I admittedly can say I have drooled, obsessed and schemed over a way of getting my hands on what my eyes have seen.

In a culture where the polarizing debate is what operating system do you have (iOS or Android?), something just doesn’t seem right.Geoffrey Fowler for the Wall Street Journal considers an interesting fact in our society: “Phones have become so core to our lives that buying into an operating system has become a bit like choosing a religion.” What a true observation!

New technology is cool, but the desire to have it often crosses the line for people like me. I have been forced to take a step back and consider the depths of my inner yearnings. I am mesmerized by the sleekness, the new size, and the new features, like Apple Pay, that the new iPhone has to offer.  Time spent thinking about what I can get with my money has replaced the time I have spent pursuing Christ. The very thing that God has used man to procreate for His glory, I have turned into a perpetual golden calf. iPhones are great, but they do not sustain life. Yet, we tightly grip these little brick systems, while loosening our grip on the cross. I do not need an Apple device a day to keep me, nor bring life and vitality to my soul. It is a battle I face every release date.

Tech Is Not The Problem

Before you think what I am saying is “don’t buy new stuff,” let me just say that I think new technology is good and ordained by God. It isn’t some evil that God never saw coming. He exists outside of time and knew what it was going to look like and how it was going to operate before we did. Before even the developers did. I am fully persuaded that God is in the business of redemption; therefore, I think most elements of our devices have good purposes.

For example, I use the Echo app to keep track of people I am praying for. When I am short on time, I can set the in-app timer for 2 or 3 minutes and do work. Also, the many Bible apps and spiritual blogs like Faithlife and Logos Study Bible, The Gospel Coalition, Ligonier, Fighter Verses and Desiring God have been substantial blessings in my spiritual walk.

The Problem Revealed

The problem we have is envy. We are going to be left out and not have what someone else has. No person wants to envy, but we do it so naturally. We want to be envied instead. We want our pride to be pumped up to the max. When we could, and should, be rejoicing in what someone else has, we look on them with scorn. This is nothing new. Cain did it to Abel and as a result of his sin he ended up being the world’s first murderer.

One of the root issues of our envy is a lack of understanding our purpose. We invest most of our energy, affections and time into what we believe gives us the most purpose in life. No person or possession on earth is capable of fulfilling our worth. True value comes from the Creator. Only he can place the true worth and value on his creation. We must look and see what he holds to be most valuable. What he treasures are hearts that are broken for him. He has proven that his love for his people cannot come with a price tag measured by dollars. That is why the fulfillment of who we are cannot come from what we can stuff into our pockets and purses. It must come from a person outside of our world, namely Yahweh.

So before you stand in line to purchase your new device, wondering if you should or shouldn’t buy that shiny new toy, consider this: the problem is within the devices of our hearts, not within our devices. God can restore and renew them both, for his good and perfect purposes. Your phone can provide temporary satisfaction, but at his right hand are pleasures forevermore. Ask him to draw you in closer to his heart, with or without that new purchase.

Further Study: Psalms 16:11; 37:3-4; Ecclesiastes 1:1-11; James 1:9-11, 16-17