Positive progress
When we think about progress we often liken it to new technologies, innovation, change and everything happening around us at a fast pace. We may even resent a little the constant pressure and noise of all the so called progress happening in and around us, and yearn for a bygone era where life was lived at what we imagine to be a slower and gentler pace. Today however I was contemplating the benefits we enjoy because of progress, and the positives gained.
Case in point would be how I travelled to Kalgoorlie Western Australia today. It took approximately 50minutes. By the time my husband and children arrived home from dropping me at the airport I was nearly half way to my destination, yet just over 100 years ago the same journey would have been possible by camel train and taken a labourious three weeks.
Transport, computer technologies, medical breakthroughs and new innovations enable us to live far easier and simpler lives. Perhaps therefore the problems and resentment we can feel towards progress and our fast paved world is a problem of our own making.
We know we have medication, medical science and the ability and alternative to “pop a pill” so we often we take our health for granted and don’t exercise, eat well, make careful choices or take care of ourselves as well as we could. Progress enables us to be a consumer, throw out society whereas the previous generations were far more likely to appreciate, maintain, share, use, recyle and restore everything they had.
Through innovative technologies we are able to travel and communicate faster and further than ever before, yet we are often more isolated, pressured, stressed and lacking in people skills than our grandparents.
God has blessed us with the ability to progress, to problem solve, create and to have innovative, enhancing, life changing ideas, yet how much of the positive of progress have we turned into negatives through our own choices to not use new technology and innovation for the betterment and good of our own and others lives.
God wants to bless us and to release and equip creativity beyond our wildest dreams; to lift burdens and toil off us, but how we relate and benefit from this creativity and progress takes wisdom. For us to regularly ask ourselves how can these new advancements can enhance our life rather than deplete from our time, energy, finances, health and spititual and emotional life.
“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)
Prayer: Lord please help me to make wise choices and to appreciate the positives of progress instead of the negatives and stress. In Jesus name Amen.