In Theory:

According to a recent article in the Catholic weekly Our Sunday Visitor, today’s young adults struggle to engage in life outside the digital realm. How can teens stay connected without losing touch with the outside world?

God’s fundamental desire for everyone is that we would love Him with all our hearts and love others as we love ourselves. Technology can help us in those pursuits, but it can be a distracting hindrance as well. Following a few of God’s basic guidelines can help teens stay in touch without having to give up their iTouch.

The most important source of goodness for anyone is to have a personal relationship with God. James encourages us that “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights . . .” (James 1:7). Everyone who is spiritually alive is led by God’s Spirit. So if anyone has a personal relationship with God, He will lead them toward what is healthy and honoring to Him, and away from what isolates and alienates us.

Jesus Christ claimed to be the one and only “door” through which we enter a relationship with our Father in Heaven. Being personally involved in a local church keeps us connected in a healthy way. There we lift our focus up to God through prayer and worship and instruction in scripture. We interact with others of all age groups in uplifting and caring ways. Worship gets us out of the weekly rut of chores and duties and away from the TV or video game screen.

If any of us seeks God first, He promises to give us every good thing we need to lead a meaningful life. So I would encourage anyone who wants to stay connected with others to be rightly related to God through Christ, to be regularly involved in worship and to be purposeful in giving God priority in every area of life.

PASTOR JON BARTA

Valley Baptist Church in Burbank