This is Part 4 of a short series of articles on the destruction and destructive potential of digital age technologies. In Part 1, we explored the negative effects of technology on our physical, psychological, social, and spiritual health. Part 2 encouraged a spiritual response for the mitigation of the damage we have invited and allowed to this point. In Part 3, we propose several spiritual and practical means for building protective barriers against the dangers of digital age technology. Here we will present a couple of perspectives on restoration, and how they apply to the treasures we have lost to digital age technology.

Let’s begin with the hard, sobering truth: Not all that has been lost to the digital age and its technology will be restored. I know, not the best way to begin an article, but it will be good to get the bad news out of the way. Indeed, regret makes for great motivation, and grieving will enable us to move on to the solutions that are most possible.

The original title of this article did not include “Some of.” Subconsciously, I want to believe that all I have lost, and allowed my children to lose, can be restored. Our God is merciful, omnipotent, and sovereign, and we should not hesitate to pray for miracles. However, there is the reality of consequence – we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7) – and, as far as I know, God has never reversed time for an entire generation.

With hindsight and knowledge of current psychological and sociological findings, we will all regret having exposed our children to digital technology. Some of the damage is real (see Part 1) and beyond human restorative capability. Decisive confession has a way of leading to real repentance, the change of mind and the hardening of conviction necessary for the lifestyle transformations we require.

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16

It is no coincidence that we have come to this verse. The previous articles in this series have made it perfectly clear: the challenges are beyond our capabilities. We need the “avails much” promised through the effective, fervent prayer of righteous men and women. So, grieve as you will, and lay hold of the motivation you need to participate in whatever restoration God might bring to bear for ourselves, our families, our fellowships, and our society. One thing is sure: If we cannot, within God’s grace and power, meet this challenge, the lost world around us truly has no hope.

Participating in God’s Restorative Work

[There are several excerpts here from The Storms Have Only Just Begun, where God used the metaphor of house inspection, restoration, and abiding to encourage and equip believers in the strengthening of their spiritual foundations.]

Then Job answered the LORD and said:

“I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.” Job 42:2

The LORD’s purposes will not be withheld from Him. Period. The storms and chaos of the 2020s will accomplish all He desires for the church. He will have the reign, intimacy, habitation, and glory He envisioned before mankind’s rebellion. The question to which we must give attention is: Will we and those we love benefit from the LORD’s restorative work, or will we (and they) experience the great fall of our houses?

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Within the larger eternal context, God will accomplish exceedingly, abundantly more in our personal and corporate lives than we can think or imagine. How do we ensure the most positive outcome? By participating with Him – according to the power that works in us – for His glory.  

At this point, it is important to recognize that knowing the answer – even teaching the answer – is not the same as considering, believing, and acting on the answer. This is one of our carnal mind’s most subtle and sinister deceptions. Subconsciously, it tells us, “I’ve got this.”, and we move on to a well-timed distraction. The appropriate response is, “No, I don’t want you to have it. I want to discuss it with my Creator, Lord, and Teacher. I want to know how They would have me respond.”

The most important things lost to digital age technology are most likely those things most important to our Creator: His reign over us, His intimacy with us, His habitation in us, and His glory through us. I suspect everything else will fall nicely into one of those categories. Moreover, we can anticipate more of the LORD’s attention and assistance as we pursue the very things He has been working to restore since our rebellion.

Restoring the Loss of His Reign in the Digital Age

In many respects, the loss of God’s reign over our hearts is the easiest to address. It is simply a matter of obedience. Have we asked God what He would have us do with the technology incessantly offered by the world? Or have we conveniently gone along with the crowd’s decisions? Are we being conformed or transformed (Romans 12:2)?

I do not remember when I first heard it, but just yesterday, someone again suggested to me, “Isn’t technology amoral, either moral or immoral depending on how it is used?” I no longer believe that to be true, but let’s say it is… and think for a moment. Who determines how we use digital technology? Has it not become those who provide it? How many of those people do you know – much less know their morals?

When we allow others to make decisions for us (and those entrusted to our care), we submit to their authority. God’s wisdom and grace flow down the channels of authority He establishes. Inviting or allowing digital technology companies and their advertisers into our authority structures ensures distraction, deception, and disaster. Furthermore, when we casually or intentionally come out from under God’s reign, we lose His protection, wisdom, and grace.  

Restoring God’s reign in our own lives is the only way we will find the authority, wisdom, and power to restore what we and our loved ones have lost to digital age technology. If we could, I am sure every parent, teacher, pastor, and elder would go back and carefully consult with our King about decisions we have avoided, and those we have made. That being impossible: What are we going to do today, this week, and this year?

Restoring His Intimacy

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3

It is impossible to love someone you do not know. In this verse, the Greek word translated “know” describes the deepest relationship between two people. It is no coincidence that our primary desire toward God (i.e., eternal life) is to know Him and His Son in the most intimate way possible.

The normal Christian life is a life of growing in relationship with God. How awesome to know from the start that the One who has identified Himself as the truth encourages us to an intimate relationship with Himself, and with our Father in heaven!

Digital age technology offers a breadth of knowledge with little or no spiritual depth. Our growing hunger for more inane and worthless information draws us away from time better invested in knowing our God. In this way, it is an anti-Christ. It’s sobering and heartbreaking to consider the trade we have been deceived into making.

But there is hope! The Father is working in us to will and to do to His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13), which is to give us His kingdom (Luke 12:32). As bondservants (i.e., under His reign), our hearts and minds can turn to the will and desires of our Father in heaven. We can discover the prayer life that God intends – a life far more blessed than the one we have settled for. Remember, the Father loves speaking with His children.

Finally, to navigate out of the technology traps and prisons in which we find ourselves, we must know the voice of God. We must be able to hear, “Put down your phone; beware the browser.” We desperately require the encouragement of time spent with our Lord and Savior. Remember, we become what (or Who) we give our attention to.

Restoring His Habitation

Families sitting at the dinner table with their heads in their phones has become a worn out and sad meme. The same for children who are more “friend” via messaging than in face-to-face interaction. A picture is worth a thousand words. Within those memes we discover the tragic loss of family and relationship, the very things that most determine human identity.

Cognitive science has recently discovered what the church has known for millennia: We are defined more by our relationships than by our individual personas. To say, “That is Beth’s husband” says greatly more than “That is Rob.” As does, “He is my friend,” “…father of two adults,” and “…member of New River Community Church.” Everything in the universe, from the smallest particles to the ineffable Godhead, are better understood through their relationships than through an analysis of their constituent parts.

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17:20-21

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

The passive and aggressive divisiveness promoted (or imposed) by digital technology represents additional evidence of its anti-Christ influence. Our participation puts us in potentially evil company. We simply must begin separating ourselves from our digital technology and reconnecting with one another. Building, protecting, and nurturing personal relationships must become a priority.

Restoring His Glory

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

Restoring God’s glory requires that we get out and do good works for which we were created and saved. That good work – God’s work, that we walk in – includes whatever He will do to aide our escape from the technology hell-on-earth that has captured us and those entrusted to our care.

I do not believe our escape from digital technology requires, or even allows, total separation. The technology has become ubiquitous and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is only making it more so. However, there are ways to create barriers and to change the current trajectory of our involvement with digital technology.

So, how do we find and incorporate ourselves in the supernatural good work God intends to accomplish? Here at inLight Consulting, we have been teaching Christians leaders, for almost twenty years now, that God’s good work is discovered in the desires He has placed in our hearts.

Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday. Psalm 37:4-6

Think about the trade God is offering. AI desires and promises to do everything better and faster than humans – to ultimately replace us. God invites us to participate with Him in work beyond our imagination (Ephesians 3:20-21). The whole of creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God (Romans 8:19). There is no better time than the present.

So, ask God to stir the desire He has placed in your heart, the desire He promises to give you. Remember, no purpose will be denied Him. He will set you free, and use you to do the same for others. Commit your way to Him and trust Him; He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

Christian Meditation

Honestly, the matter of Christian meditation as a subject of this article has been a bit surprising to me. We tend to avoid that word in Christian circles for fear of sounding like Orthodox mystics or Yoga practitioners.  Giving that curiosity a bit of prayerful consideration, I have come to understand that the mesmerizing effect of digital technology is a twisted imitation of Christian meditation. If that seems a bit over the top, consider where your mind has gone the next time you catch yourself scrolling through Facebook reels or YouTube shorts. Better yet, try fasting the practice for a few days to discover the sinister power behind such things.

On the other hand, biblical meditation is a deeply spiritual Christian discipline rooted in reflection, prayer, and attentiveness to God’s word—not the emptying of the mind, but the filling of it with divine truth. While modern meditation often draws from Eastern traditions, and social media capture from the worship of other gods (e.g., Mammon and Molech), Christian meditation has its own rich and ancient ancestry – encouraged by God in the Holy Bible and witnessed in our holy traditions.

Old Testament Foundations

The Hebrew word most often translated as “meditate” is hāgâ, meaning to muse, mutter, or ponder. It appears in verses like:

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2

When I remember you on my bed, I meditate on you in the night watches. Psalm 63:6

Meditation in this context was often vocal—reciting Scripture aloud, reflecting on God’s deeds, and internalizing His commands. It is a way to align the heart and mind with God’s will.

Ancient Jewish Practices

Jewish meditation in biblical times included:

• Recitation of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–9) as a daily rhythm of focus and devotion.
• Contemplative prayer in solitude, especially among prophets and psalmists.
• Temple worship and Torah study, which involved deep reflection and memorization.

New Testament Insights

While the New Testament doesn’t use the word “meditate” as frequently, the concept is present:

• Jesus often withdrew to quiet places to pray and reflect (Luke 5:16).
• Paul encourages believers to “think about whatever is true, noble, right…” (Philippians 4:8), which echoes the meditative focus on godly virtues.

Early Christian and Monastic Traditions

By the 3rd and 4th centuries, the Desert Fathers—early Christian monks in Egypt and Palestine—developed meditative practices centered on Scripture, silence, and the presence of God. This gave rise to:

• Lectio Divina in the West: a four-step process of reading, meditating, praying, and contemplating Scripture (Wikipedia contributors, n.d.).
• Hesychasm in the East: a meditative prayer tradition focused on the repetition of the Jesus Prayer and inner stillness (Wikipedia contributors, n.d.).

Biblical meditation has always been about dwelling in God’s presence, not escaping reality but engaging it with spiritual clarity. Biblical meditation and Eastern meditation may share surface similarities—like stillness, repetition, and introspection—but they diverge significantly in purpose, focus, and spiritual orientation.

Purpose

• Eastern meditation (e.g., in Buddhism or Hinduism) often aims to empty the mind, transcend the self, or dissolve the ego to achieve enlightenment or union with the universe.
• Biblical meditation seeks to fill the mind with God’s Word and presence. The goal is communion with a personal God, transformation through truth, and alignment with His will (Just Disciple, n.d.).

Focus

• Eastern meditation tends to focus inward—on breath, a mantra, or the self—as a path to inner peace or awakening.
• Biblical meditation focuses outward and upward—on Scripture, God’s character, and His works. It’s relational, not just experiential (Abide, 2023).

Posture of the Heart

• In Eastern traditions, posture and technique (like sitting cross-legged or repeating mantras) are often emphasized.
• In biblical meditation, the posture of the heart matters more than the body. It can happen while walking, working, or resting—anywhere the heart is attentive to God (Abide, 2023).

Source of Peace

• Eastern meditation often teaches that peace is found by detaching from desire or dissolving the self (Aura Health Team, n.d.).
• Biblical meditation teaches that peace comes from trusting in God, who is near and active. As Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

Revelation vs. Realization

• Eastern meditation seeks realization of inner truth or universal consciousness.
• Biblical meditation is rooted in divine revelation—God speaking through Scripture. It’s not about discovering truth within, but receiving truth from above (Toon, 1991).

In short, biblical meditation is not about escaping reality but discovering and engaging it with God’s wisdom and presence. As a spiritual discipline, the power of biblical meditation to shift our attention to the Divine is second only in importance to prayer for restoring that which has been lost to digital age technology. Moreover, several other Christian disciplines are complemented by the practice of meditation, including solitude, silence, and fasting (Willard, 1988).

Conclusion

Life has become incredibly complicated! We desperately need to pull back and survey the time and place in which we live and care for others. More importantly, we need to survey ourselves: Where are we investing our attention? What is making us? What are we losing in the process?

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2Corinthians 3:18

We are living in dangerous times. Digital technology has us back on our heels, and it is not going away. Indeed, it has become ubiquitous, having indoctrinated our culture. Regrettably, the crisis will get much worse before it gets better. But there is hope.

We are living in exciting times. For reasons beyond my paygrade, God determined to put us on this planet during this critical time for both church and society. We have been created and saved to walk in God’s good work. The opportunities for divine appointment and legacy building have never been greater for the Western church and the followers of Jesus Christ who reside here.

Our families, fellowships, friends, and neighbors desperately need the sons and daughters of God to reveal themselves, step into the breach, and create some space for triage-level mitigation, barrier building, and restoration. Our God is fully capable of working every storm, chaos, and crisis into the good of those who love Him and are called to this purpose (Romans 8:28).

God bless you with courage and grace to seize the day and enjoy the glory of His good work.

Have a strong day in the Lord,

Rob

#iamjustthepen

Abide. (2023, January 3). Biblical Meditation vs. Eastern Meditation. Retrieved August 3, 2025, from https://abide.com/blog/biblical-meditation-vs-eastern-meditation

Aura Health Team. (n.d.). Eastern Meditation: Embrace Ancient Wisdom with Eastern Meditation Practices. Aura. Retrieved August 3, 2025, from https://www.aurahealth.io/blog/eastern-meditation

Just Disciple. (n.d.). Christian Vs. Eastern Meditation: Difference & Similarities. Retrieved August 3, 2025, from https://justdisciple.com/meditation-eastern-vs-christian

Toon, P. (1991). Biblical Meditation vs. Eastern Meditation. Retrieved August 3, 2025, from https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/biblical-meditation-vs-eastern-meditation/

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). History of Christian meditation. Wikipedia. Retrieved August 3, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christian_meditation

Willard, D. (1988). The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives. HarperCollins; New York.