Things Are What We Make Them

Many things are not inherently good or inherently evil. They are neutral. Some things are beneficial when used properly, but can be abused. Let me give some examples.

The telephone is generally considered beneficial, but becomes an instrument of evil when used to harass people. The Internet is generally considered beneficial, but becomes evil when used for cyber bullying or watching pornography. Money is an efficient medium for conducting business, but becomes evil when coveted or has become someone’s idol. Sex is beneficial for any number of reasons, but becomes evil when misused. Because things like the Internet are used so often for evil, millions of dollars have to be spent on security. That’s a result of the sinful nature of people, not the technology.

So we should both watch our attitude towards things and be careful how we use them. If something becomes overly important to us, it becomes a false god, an idol, and we are committing idolatry. God should be primary in our life, followed by family, work, and self. Elevating anything above God is not a good idea. If we are close to God, we will then be less inclined to do evil. As we approach Christmas let us examine our relationship with God (or lack thereof) and consider drawing closer to him. We will become better people and the world will be one step closer to becoming a better place.