By Hannah Muñoz, the Rope contributor
My phone frequently gives me trouble, especially while I’m trying to use a navigation app. It insists on using WiFi even though I have more than enough data stored on my phone. And it overheats quickly which causes the phone to shut off and slowly turn back on. This isn’t a big deal when I’m going somewhere far away because I’ll have time to plug the address back in before I have to make a turn or use an exit ramp. But when I’m going somewhere 10-20 minutes away, there could be a turn or two that I miss while my phone is having it’s freak out session. When this happens, I usually get very mad very quickly. Mad enough to actually consider throwing my phone out the window as I’m driving.
I don’t typically get angry with people as quickly or as often as I get angry at electronics. And perhaps that’s a step in the right direction, but if people around me notice how angry I am with technology, it doesn’t exactly broadcast the correct Christian behavior.
Last night I was driving to the Young Life banquet. I left in plenty of time to arrive there by 5:45 but I hadn’t factored in Birmingham traffic. Still, my navigation app told me I would still arrive right on time. That is, until it shut off for the millionth time. And I had never been in this part of town before so I was about to get majorly lost. Thankfully, I was able to pull into a gas station and turn my phone back on and set up GPS again. But I was still incredibly angry. And it showed when I arrived at the banquet.
I met up with fellow Young Life leaders as we prepared to introduce ourselves to parents of students in Young Life and all I wanted to do was complain about my phone. It didn’t matter what problems everyone else had, mine was the most important because it resulted in my almost absence. I can only hope that no one heard me and assumed that is how I regularly act. But looking back on last night set an alarm in my life.
No matter where I go, whether it’s a Christian function or not, people will be watching and listening to what I say and do.
That can either help or hurt my Christian witness. So it’s important that I keep this verse in mind in order to work on my anger, whether it’s at technology or people:
