What Does That Mean?

Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus. - Elton Trueblood

I read an advertisement this week that made me scratch my head.  Have you noticed how some advertisers will use made up words or complicated sentences to make what they are trying to sell sound important enough for you to want to buy it.  The following is a portion of the advertisement I read:

“To ensure consistent uptime, a state-of-the-art network is secured from the network core to end user access points, features redundant failover and completely virtualized back up.”

 But it gets better.  Here is the last part of the sales pitch:

“Watch our Customer Success Video to learn how fiber based technology is the winning formula for cost-effectively connecting dispersed people and resources.”

This week when my computer crashed I might have been able to use whatever these folks are selling if I could tell what that was.  My best interpretation is that they can keep my computer up and running with a fancy server that communicates with my desktop and other people's, (I don’t even have a translation for “redundant failover”).  Then I got stuck on virtualized so I looked it up and guess what the definition of that is? (to transform something into an artificial computer-generated version of itself which functions as if it were real.) So the translation of the final piece is, “get your information cheaper from a fake computer and scatter it to all your co-workers.”

Our world has become too complicated hasn’t it?  I don’t know that God really intended it to be that way.  As we become what we think is “smarter”, we leave behind the simple things in life and we forget to enjoy what God created for us.  Our world is so busy building the fastest computer, phone, car….. that we forget why we are here in the first place. People and relationships become less important.

When we forget how to connect with others, we become an automation no different from the virtual computer. The following is a definition I read from a “The Gift of Imperfection” by Brene Brown.

 

Connection: the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, help me to not get caught up in the things of this world and to understand the importance of the simple things in life.  You aren’t complicated or hard to understand, but I need to spend time with You, meditate on Your Word and share it with others.  Help me to slow down and appreciate You. My connection with You is the most important one I will ever make. Help me to make it count for your Glory.

Scripture: I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.  Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.  I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.  Ephesians 3:7-13