Over the past couple weeks I have been in the company of many iPhones and their owners at parties and other social events, actually you may be one of them. Even though I don’t own one of these “must have” electronic devices my observations of those that do own them have prompted me to share a few thoughts. [Note. Portions of this blog apply to SOME but not ALL iPhone owners]

Necessity or Toy? I’m actually old enough to remember a time when most Americans did not have mobile or cellular phones. Then when everyone started buying them you could only use them to make a phone call. Then you could make a phone call and text…and that’s all you really need a cell phone for, calling or texting someone.  I must admit that in 2011, this is pretty much a necessity for a lot of us.

However, unless you are a CEO or maybe a CEO’s assistant you don’t “need” an iPhone. And even the CEO and his assistant should put their iPhones on silent for a bit when they spend time with their family. What about GPS or face time? Well, you can buy a GPS unit for $100 or less and Skype for free on your Mac! The ability to make a phone call and text are a necessity. Hey Tell, Angry Birds and Suri are toys.

It’s New. I’ve actually been given this reason before when someone is on their iPhone a lot at a social event and I’ve got to say that this defense is as weak as wet toilet paper. That would be like me buying a new book and bringing it with me to a party and telling everyone that I just bought it so I am justified in disengaging and reading a few chapters. Umm????

Fruit of the Spirit #9. Having an iPhone forces you to exercise Fruit of the Spirit #9, a lot! Realistically, if you already have an iPhone probably no one is going to be able to influence you to “downgrade” to a simpler cellular device. But, there is an alternative and solution to the consuming iPhone, it’s called self-control. If you can’t be in a room with other people for more than five minutes without checking FB, email or football game score you may want to review Galatians 5:22-23 with a focus on verse 23.

Really, even if you don’t own an iPhone you should review these verses, they’re really good and they have eternal value! At the end of the age I guarantee you that the Lord will not ask you how many photos you posted via instagram but he will ask you if you learned to love people.

Don’t take this the wrong way, I’m not trying to be hatin on all you iPhone folks out there. I’m just trying to call us back to good, old fashioned, currently out of style face to face interaction as opposed to the current trend of “screen time.”

Though the iPhone is the latest thing, human beings have been, currently are and will always be more important than a $200 electronic.

So, next time, at a social event, before you pull out your iPhone to tell Suri that she’s a loser for the 20th time resist the urge to slide that little arrow. You never know what you might learn from a live human being, or who you might meet :)

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