Features & Fixes

With our modern computers and digital devices, we have become very accustomed to getting messages and notifications regarding the need to upgrade and download the latest version of our operating system and the software we run. These are not hardware issues but system and software. The vast majority of these updates cover two things: Features & Fixes.

1—Features that have been newly developed

2—Fixes and patches for bugs, viruses, and the like

Our choice when we receive a notification is to:

1—Stop and download right away

2—Decide to take care of it later at a more convenient time (click remind me tomorrow)

3—Ignore it altogether, at least until it begins to affect actual operation

(Often choice #2 quickly becomes choice #3.)

To use this familiar language and technological dynamic for our spiritual lives, our hardware is installed upon salvation. God’s Spirit gives us the device in our spirit to access His network and become connected to everything He has for us.

Here is the major difference—upon salvation, we are given access to the ultimate operating system and every feature and bug fix is available for the taking.

On a daily basis, God sends us specifically customized user messages through His Word and His Spirit with the vast majority of these updates to notify us of two things:

1—Features available that we are not utilizing

2—Fixes for bugs, viruses, and the like that we have yet to install

Our choice when we receive a notification is to:

1—Stop and download right away

2—Decide to take care of it later at a more convenient time (remind me tomorrow, Lord)

3—Ignore it altogether, at least until it begins to affect actual operation

(Often choice #2 quickly becomes choice #3.)

I’m sure you get this analogy for your walk with God, but here’s what I want to do for us all—turn every single notification that you get on your desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone into a parallel spiritual reminder that God likely has something He desires for you and I to download into our spirits ASAP. (Oh, and for you auto-update folks, the only way that works in the spirit is immediate obedience when notified.)

[Jesus] replied, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn’t been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. … “But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance. —Matthew 13:13, 16-17 MSG

P.S. And we must constantly ask and challenge ourselves if we have more of a relationship with our phone than our Father?