Connecting Like Jesus in a Digital World
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
5 When Jesus got there, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down! I want to stay with you today.” 6 Zacchaeus hurried down and gladly welcomed Jesus. 7 Everyone who saw this started grumbling, “This man Zacchaeus is a sinner! And Jesus is going home to eat with him.” 8 Later that day Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “I will give half of my property to the poor. And I will now pay back four times as much to everyone I have ever cheated.” 9 Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today you and your family have been saved, because you are a true son of Abraham. 10 The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.”
Luke 19:5-10
Memory Verse
Luke 19:10
10 The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.”
Think about all the people you connect with. How do you connect with them? Sometimes, we connect with others because we like the same things or live in the same neighborhood. Other times, your cousin might be a good friend, or maybe it’s someone from your church. With lifelong friends, it can even be challenging to remember what brought you together! We are glad for all these connections because relationships are essential to life.
Think about this: God has a personal relationship with each of us and even sent his Son, Jesus, to connect with us and "look for and save people who are lost" (Luke 19:10). In many examples, like the story of Zacchaeus, Jesus intentionally used connections to build up and help others.
So, how can we follow Jesus’ example? God calls us to share his love; to do that, we need to build relationships and connections. In Jesus’ day, phones and computers didn’t exist. Jesus walked from place to place to do his ministry. Today we have technology like social media, cell phones, and FaceTime that help us stay connected. It’s so much easier to stay connected every day. We can share a story with our grandparents who might live far away or call a friend who is sick. We have the tools in our hands to continue building positive relationships.
But there are problems with our phones and computers, too. We must be careful—some people use social media to bring others down. We might also use it to text hurtful words or treat our connections with others poorly. Remember how Jesus connected with others by opening his heart and wanting to help. If we intend to spread love, be ambassadors of God’s kingdom, and build relationships like Jesus, then technology can aid us in connecting with others.
Prayer
God, thank you for giving us ways to connect and build relationships. Help us to connect well and share the story of your love for us with others. Amen.Related Resources
Rachel Syens
Rachel Syens is the Social Media Specialist for ReFrame Ministries, coordinating social media engagement for Kids Corner and five other programs. Rachel graduated with a B.A. from Hope College and M.A. from Western Michigan University. Rachel is passionate about writing, travel, and visiting local coffee shops. Rachel calls West Michigan home.