Smartphone, Smartphone on the Wall; Who’s the Fairest of them All?
“Mirror, Mirror on the wall; who’s the fairest of them all?” asked the Queen in Disney’s classic film Snow White. The mirror dutifully responded as it always had, “Thou, Oh Queen, art the fairest in the land.” Until, of course, Snow White came along.
We may not want to admit it, but like the queen, we too want to be told that we are the fairest of them all. We want validation. We want approval. We want glory.
““Smartphone, smartphone in my hand; who’s the fairest in all the land?””
But instead of a mirror, we gaze into a phone. “Smartphone, smartphone in my hand; who’s the fairest in all the land?” With likes, comments, and shares, our digital mirrors say to us, “In all the digital world, you outshine the rest.”
Glory Seeking
We employ our digital devices in our search for glory. We look for affirmation. We love to be liked.
When we scroll for posts that affirm our own opinions and prop up our preferences, we’re looking for reminders of how good we are. We’re seeking glory. And we’ll search and post and comment until we find it. We even turn on notifications so we don’t miss those well-earned compliments.
Our desire for affirmation is not entirely unhealthy. We were made to give and receive love. And our digital devices can be tools for expressing God-honoring affirmation and love for others.
Simply logging in doesn’t mean we are willfully ignoring the benefits of technology and hijacking them for unrestrained idolatry. Technology certainly has God-honoring uses and our sanctification may indeed benefit from the variety of biblically-affirming voices which our devices make available to us. But in a digital world full of socially-driven posts and biased algorithms, we’re more likely to find an echo chamber than a clear presentation of simple facts.
And as if the sinfulness of our own hearts wasn’t enough to fuel our search for digital glory, there are emotional and physical aspects at play as well. The little red notification not only tells us that someone has commented; but it also sends dopamine to our brain that fuels our engagement. Our physical make-up is changed by the presence—and absence—of likes and comments. We not only love to be liked; we live for the like.
We Are Like Herod
Every time we open an app looking for affirmation and glory, we imitate Herod who clothed himself in royal garments and basked in the declaration “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” (Acts 12:22).
Luke writes, “On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them” (Acts 12:21). Herod marked this day on the calendar. The city prepared. The crowd gathered. Recognizing the importance of the moment, Herod dressed for the occasion as he “put on his royal robes.” Josephus records that Herod’s robe was made of silver in such a way that it would reflect the sun’s rays, blinding the crowd (Antiquities, Book XIX, Chapter 8, Section 2). In case his onlookers doubted his authority, Herod then took his place upon the throne. The entire event pointed to his greatness.
Perhaps that describes your digital engagement?
“And while we may not be eaten by worms as Herod was, we likewise will face the full judgment of God for every moment we did not give him glory.”
Herod’s display of self-glory happened on an appointed day recognized by the city. When we log in and look for our affirmation and praise, we may do it in moments no one notices. Herod was dressed in reflective robes. We are in our pajamas. Herod was on the throne. We haven’t gotten out of bed.
But just as Herod loved the praise of the people, so too do we. And while we may not be eaten by worms as Herod was, we likewise will face the full judgment of God for every moment we did not give him glory but instead sought it for ourselves.
Don’t Seek the Spotlight, Shine the Spotlight
Singer and songwriter Andy Grammar admits his own longing for glory in his song, “Spotlight” with Andy Mineo:
...am I even alive if I don’t shine in the spotlight? [...]
Am I anybody if nobody sees me?
Am I anybody if nobody wants to be me?
God has created you not to find satisfaction in the spotlight, but to find satisfaction by pointing the spotlight at Jesus. Everything, from eating to drinking to posting to scrolling, is to be done for God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31).
Christian, Jesus is better than your search for self-glory. When you find yourself checking an account in hopes of notifications of praise, turn your eyes and heart to Christ who is your life. Leverage your digital devices not to glory in the spotlight, but to redirect the spotlight to Jesus.
Three Ways to Leverage Your Devices for Christ’s Glory above Yours
Post for Christ’s Glory. Believer, hopefully you love the glory of Christ. The Bible offers us images and passages and paragraphs that display the many facets of Christ’s glory. Delight yourself in this. And then post. Post biblical passages. Reshare articles that help you delight in Christ. Your device gives you a platform; use it for Christ’s glory.
If you asked a handful of friends to describe your digital reputation, would they point to Christ’s glory or yours?
Use Your Devices to Express Gratitude for God’s Work in Others. In Romans 16, the apostle Paul mentions over 30 people by name. The conclusion of arguably the most theological book in the Bible is a list of names. Why? Because Paul knew God is glorified when we thank him for his work in and through others.
Who has encouraged you recently? Who has God used to bless you? Use your digital device to express gratitude for them. It may be in the form of a post or a text message. It may be a phone or video call. Use your devices to express gratitude for God’s work in others.
Prompt Yourself to Ponder the Goodness of Jesus. Our devices can make our lives so much easier. We can automate paying our bills. We can set a reminder to remember someone’s birthday. We can prompt ourselves to pray at 2 p.m. for missionaries. We can set reminders to meditate on a passage of Scripture or an attribute of God. Imagine if you set a reminder for the next 30 days to meditate on a passage about Jesus. How might your faith be strengthened?
Christian, use your devices to prompt yourself to ponder the goodness of Jesus.
A Better Fairytale
God, in his kindness, has placed you on earth with digital devices. You need not flip through a paper rolodex or unravel a scroll. You don’t even need to push any buttons to unlock your phone. Just look at it. While enjoying these benefits we also recognize the dangers. We are not ignorant of Satan’s designs or devices (2 Cor 2:11). The true story of Satan’s deceiving Eve with the forbidden fruit echoes in the fairytale of the witch poisoning Snow White with the apple.
“In your sin, you do not need a better device or a long-awaited Prince Charming. You need a substitutionary Savior strong enough to bear the wrath of God in your place. ”
In your sin, you do not need a better device or a long-awaited Prince Charming. You need a substitutionary Savior strong enough to bear the wrath of God in your place. You need a conquering king who has authority to bring you to life. And you have this, and so much more, in Christ. He bids you come. He grants you life. Put down your self-glory seeking device and come to Christ who satisfies you with the glory of God. Hear him call you. Respond and find life. Your Lord’s command carries more power than Prince Charming’s kiss.
Jeff Mingee (DMin, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the pastor of Catalyst Church in Newport News, Virginia. He also serves as a church planting strategist with the SBC of Virginia and helps lead the Hampton Roads regional chapter of The Gospel Coalition. He is the author of several books, including Forgiveness: A Risk Worth Taking (A Verse by Verse Journey through Philemon), Called to Cooperate: A Biblical Survey and Application of Teamwork, and a forthcoming book on exercising dominion in a digital world. He and his wife, Lauren, live in Newport News with their sons Aiden and Carter.