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Read Psalm 56:3-4.

A woman pulls her chair up close to a computer and peers into the screen. She sees the image of her grandson, an officer in the military, talking to her as though he is sitting across her dining room table instead of in a war zone halfway around the world. Tears suddenly well up.

In another city a grandfather watches restless grandchildren push buttons on their slim, palm-sized electronic gadgets. One child listens to music on a tiny device with thousands of songs at his fingertips. Two send silent messages to friends in other towns, while the youngest searches a handheld apparatus for show times at a movie theater. The older man shrugs his shoulders in bewilderment.

It is not surprising that both these grandparents feel sharp pangs of insecurity. They used to feel smart and savvy. Not anymore. Not with all this fast-changing technology. As much as they marvel at the wonder of it all, they fear becoming hopelessly out of step with the rest of the world.

You may feel the same. No one likes feeling incompetent—not Moses with his speech impediment, not Abraham who thought he was too old to carry out God’s purpose. God chose these men anyway and equipped them for tasks they felt they could not do.

Don’t be afraid to learn new skills and acquire new information. Trust God and embrace new opportunities with a willing heart. Always remember, though, priceless qualities like love, faith, integrity, humility, and compassion will never go out-of-date.

Prayer

Gracious God, sometimes I feel like an old-timer stuck in a bygone era. I confess I am afraid of . . .

Grant me courage to trust you and to keep leaning forward in life. Amen.

Suggestion

Select a task or a piece of technology that intimidates you, something you have been afraid to learn. Ask a family member or friend to teach you more about it. Celebrate your effort to learn. At the same time, make note of those timeless, Christlike qualities you hope to exemplify. Make a list of ten of those qualities and post it in your room. Review the list each day this week.