By Katy Mariotti
Who Do We Trust?
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28, English Standard Version
Do you ever play games on your phone? I admit to having a few on my phone that I play. It’s nice, when I’m nursing the baby or when I want a little brain break, to play a game on my phone.
But that makes it sound less harmful than it really is. Sometimes when I’m playing games I have a hard time stopping. Scarier than that is that they’re BUILT to be that way. They are designed to make it so you have a hard time stopping. Because the more you play, the more money they make, especially in the form of ads.
And oh the ads! They’ve gotten longer and longer. The little “x” in the corner has gotten smaller and smaller, so it’s easy to accidentally click on the ad instead of the “x.”
Even if you don’t play games on a phone, think about how often someone is trying to get you to spend money. Ads are on phones, tvs, the radio, everywhere. And even medicine companies and news stations, things that seem like they should be beneficial for you, are trying to make money.
In our capitalist society, this isn’t necessarily always a bad thing. Money can be a useful transactional tool. But it DOES make it difficult to trust people. Who has our best interests at heart, and who just wants something from us?
The good news, of course, is that the Bible repeatedly tells us that God has our best interests at heart. You can read in Romans and in Jeremiah that God has good plans for us. He also promises to provide for us, and to prepare a place for us in Heaven.
In a world that’s always trying to sell us something, I pray today that we can lean into this Good News of Jesus!
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
