Wisdom for Your Weekend is your regular installment of what we’ve been reading (and watching) around the web. Presented to you by Chris Pappalardo, with occasional guidance from Pastor J.D., this is our attempt to reflect Proverbs 9:9: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.”
Articles of the Week
How Smartphones Hijack Our Minds, Nicholas Carr. If you’ve got the time, Carr’s The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, is worth every minute you invest in it. But this shorter piece gets across much of the same wisdom. It turns out that the tech-haters might have some science on their side: Smartphones aren’t just a distraction; they actually make your brain function more poorly. That’s right: Your smartphone is actually making you dumb. If you’re going to keep this piece of tech as part of your life, forewarned is forearmed. (Note: If you aren’t a WSJ subscriber, you may have to hunt around online to find a free version of the article. Try searching with the title and Carr’s name, and you should have some luck.)
Why I Jumped on Social Media and 3 Reasons I Am Still Here, Eric Geiger. Lest you accuse me (Chris) of simply venting my Luddite preferences with Carr’s piece (above), here’s some equal time in praise of current technology. Social media can connect us in new and helpful ways and even has the capacity to help us communicate more clearly.
Be a Boaz in Your Business, Rachael Starke. Stories of men in the workplace “behaving badly” toward women are tragically common these days. So we Christian men should lead in showing a more excellent way, using our influence to bless, protect, and empower. Let’s follow in the footsteps of Boaz and use our power to raise women up rather than mistreat them.
10 Dangers Every Pastor Needs to Be Aware Of, Ron Edmondson. Nearly every item on here has been the Achilles heel of thousands of pastors, leading them to torpedo their ministry. What is striking about this, however, is just how obvious many of these dangers seem to be. Ask just about any pastor on day 1 of his ministry, and he’ll say that he knows about these dangers. So there’s reason to be vigilant: Come back to this list often, and ask if you’re subtly turning a blind eye to a major problem.
At Least As Dangerous As Porn, Jon Bloom. If we take the Bible seriously (and we should), then material prosperity should be seen as a threat. In fact, the New Testament issues more warnings about the dangers of wealth than of sexual immorality. Spiritually speaking, having a fat bank account might be more perilous than having an addiction to porn. Don’t believe me? Let Bloom convince you.
On the Lighter Side
Honest Mission Trip Leader, John B. Crist. Ouch. Praying that our short-term trips avoid these all-too-common mission trip clichés.
