Technology is changing the world around us. But as Christians, the bigger question may be: Is it changing us?
There was a time when being connected meant picking up the phone.
Then came email.
Then smartphones.
Then social media.
And now, artificial intelligence is becoming woven into nearly every part of modern life.
AI can write an email, summarize a book, create an image, analyze information, build a website, write computer code, generate business ideas, and answer questions in seconds.
The technology is impressive.
But for Christians, impressive isn't the same thing as wise.
Jesus prayed for His followers:
“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” — John 17:16
Yet Jesus didn't ask the Father to remove His followers from the world.
He said:
“As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” — John 17:18
That tension matters.
We are in the world.
But we are not supposed to become of the world.
So what does that mean when artificial intelligence is becoming part of the world we live and work in?
Being “In the World” Means We Don't Have to Run From Technology
Christianity has never required believers to live as though technological progress doesn't exist.
We use electricity.
We drive cars.
We use medicine.
We communicate through phones.
We work on computers.
We use the internet.
Technology itself isn't automatically good or evil.
It is a tool.
The more important question is what we do with it—and what it does to us.
AI is no different.
A Christian business owner can use AI to brainstorm content.
A parent can use it to organize a busy schedule.
A teacher can use it to develop ideas.
A small business can use AI to improve customer service.
A student can use it as a learning assistant.
None of those things automatically compromise Christian convictions.
The problem begins when convenience becomes our master.
Being “Not of the World” Means We Don't Let the World Define Us
This may be the harder part.
The world constantly tells us what success looks like.
More money.
More followers.
More productivity.
More influence.
More efficiency.
More convenience.
More visibility.
AI can accelerate almost all of these things.
And that creates a fascinating spiritual question:
What happens when technology becomes really good at helping us pursue things we were never supposed to worship in the first place?
AI can help you build a bigger business.
But should your business become bigger?
AI can help you produce more content.
But does everyone need more content?
AI can help you save time.
But what will you do with the time you save?
AI can help you become more productive.
But are you becoming more faithful?
Those are different questions.
Technology can help us accomplish a goal.
It cannot determine whether the goal is worth pursuing.
The AI Age Requires Discernment
Romans 12:2 tells believers:
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Notice the language.
Do not be conformed.
That means we should be careful about allowing the culture around us to automatically shape our thinking, desires, priorities, and definition of success.
AI makes this especially important because it doesn't simply change what we can do.
It can influence what we think.
Every time we ask an AI tool a question, we are receiving an answer shaped by data, programming, training, design decisions, and human assumptions.
That doesn't mean AI is inherently dangerous.
It means we should stop treating it as inherently authoritative.
AI can be useful.
AI can be wrong.
AI can be biased.
AI can confidently give you an answer that sounds intelligent but isn't true.
And perhaps most importantly:
AI does not replace wisdom.
It can process information.
It cannot take responsibility for your decisions.
It can generate possibilities.
It cannot provide biblical discernment.
It can imitate understanding.
It cannot become your conscience.
The Question Isn't “Can AI Do This?”
Maybe we're asking the wrong question.
The question everyone seems to be asking is:
“What can AI do?”
That's a reasonable question.
But Christians should also ask:
“Should I let AI do this?”
And then:
“What am I becoming by using it?”
Those questions slow us down.
And sometimes slowing down is exactly what we need.
Before handing a decision to AI, ask:
1. Is this something I should outsource?
Not everything that can be automated should be automated.
There are things technology can make easier that may actually be valuable because they require our attention.
Relationships.
Creativity.
Learning.
Conversation.
Prayer.
Reflection.
Parenting.
Serving others.
Convenience isn't always the highest good.
2. Is this helping me—or replacing me?
There's a difference between using AI as an assistant and allowing it to become a substitute for thinking.
Use AI to help you brainstorm.
Then think.
Use AI to organize information.
Then investigate.
Use AI to suggest possibilities.
Then exercise judgment.
Use AI to help you write.
Then make sure the final words actually represent you.
The goal isn't to avoid assistance.
The goal is to remain responsible.
3. Does this align with my convictions?
This is where faith becomes practical.
If your business claims to value honesty, don't use AI to manufacture fake testimonials.
If you value relationships, don't automate every interaction.
If you value truth, verify important information.
If you value originality, don't simply copy whatever a machine produces.
If you value people, don't treat people as problems to be optimized.
Our technology should serve our convictions—not quietly replace them.
We Don't Need to Fear the Future
There is a temptation in conversations about AI to fall into one of two extremes.
Fear everything.
Or:
Embrace everything.
Neither requires much discernment.
The Christian response can be different.
We can be curious without being careless.
We can be innovative without being naïve.
We can use technology without worshiping it.
We can participate in the future without surrendering our values to it.
The Bible doesn't tell us to retreat from the world.
It tells us to live differently within it.
That means we can build businesses.
Create products.
Use technology.
Learn new tools.
Experiment with AI.
And still remember that our identity doesn't come from any of those things.
An “Upgraded” Life Is More Than Better Technology
This is something I've been thinking about as I explore AI, business, technology, and what it means to live faithfully in a rapidly changing world.
We talk constantly about upgrading.
Upgrade your phone.
Upgrade your computer.
Upgrade your business.
Upgrade your productivity.
Upgrade your income.
Upgrade your life.
But what if the most important upgrade isn't technological?
What if it is wisdom?
What if becoming more “upgraded” doesn't mean becoming more technologically dependent?
What if it means becoming more intentional about how we use the tools available to us?
Technology can make us faster.
But wisdom teaches us when to slow down.
Technology can give us more information.
But wisdom teaches us what information matters.
Technology can make communication easier.
But wisdom teaches us what is worth saying.
Technology can increase our influence.
But wisdom teaches us how that influence should be used.
And technology can give us incredible capabilities.
But wisdom reminds us that capability doesn't automatically equal permission.
Living Faithfully in an AI World
Perhaps living “in the world, but not of the world” in the AI age looks surprisingly ordinary.
It means we still go to work.
We still build businesses.
We still learn.
We still use technology.
We still experiment.
We still adapt.
But we do it with a different center.
Our identity isn't determined by technology.
Our values aren't determined by trends.
Our definition of success isn't determined by algorithms.
Our conscience isn't outsourced to a machine.
And our relationship with God isn't replaced by productivity.
We can enter the future without allowing the future to become our god.
That's the challenge.
And perhaps also the opportunity.
Because Christians don't need to be the people who fear every new technology.
Nor do we need to be the people who blindly celebrate every new innovation.
We can be the people who ask better questions.
Is it true?
Is it wise?
Is it helpful?
Is it ethical?
Does it serve people?
Does it align with what we believe?
And ultimately:
Is this helping me become the person God has called me to be—or simply making me more efficient at becoming someone else?
The AI age is here.
We don't have to run from it.
But we don't have to surrender to it either.
We can live in the world while remembering that we are not of the world.
And maybe that's what being truly upgraded looks like.
**Not having the newest tools.
But having the wisdom to know what to do with them.**
0 comments