The Privileged Life: Dealing with Outdated Equipment

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2

Back in the 20^th century (that sounds so long ago), I completed my master’s thesis using state-of-the-art equipment—the very first little Macintosh personal computer.

It was so cute! And so amazing! When it debuted in 1984 almost 40 years ago, it offered “a 9-inch black and white display, an 8MHz Motorola 68000 processor, 128KB of RAM, a 3.5-inch floppy drive, and a price tag of $2,495.”¹My love of Macs began right then and there.

*The adorable personal Macintosh introduced in 1984…my cute little friend²*

*The not-so-adorable screen face indicating the computer had crashed*³

My previous workstation in college was a green portable typewriter—not electric. My research results were processed on massive machines that ate paper cards with punched holes. There were no cellphones, websites, emails, videos…only quiet libraries with vast shelves of hardbound books. Those were the Dark Ages.

Fast forward to 2023—just look at all the information technology at our fingertips and in our pockets. Now, when your computer hits the five-year mark or sooner, it starts going downhill—because the software/hardware engineers are constantly revising and improving the equipment and programs. These changes add up to more data, more capabilities, more space needed, better processors. Your computer becomes outdated in the blink of an eye. Your cellphone life can be even shorter.

And, uh oh, here comes artificial intelligence—guaranteed to wipe out a lot of jobs that used to require extensive intellect and experience. Who needs real people anymore? The internet has all the answers, and AI will conveniently spit out all the information you need in comprehensive, engaging conversations.

Welcome back to 1984. The George Orwell novel, that is.

But I have a bigger problem these days. It’s my own brain that’s getting outdated. Rapidly.

Things I used to know if asked? Can’t pull them up instantly anymore. I bet I could have been a Jeopardy contestant at one time, but forget it now. Facts, names, and faces have blurred into a vast soup of disconnected neurons inside my skull. I get headaches trying to learn new apps and new instructions for simple tasks on my computer. The computer in my brain can’t keep up.

I could blame it on COVID brain fog (which is a legitimate complaint) after I went through two bouts of the virus. But the real culprit is simply age. My body is getting older, with more “twinges in the hinges.” I am made of equipment that is getting outdated and surpassed by younger models.

How do we cope with the relentless speed of 21^st-century changes? When we yearn for things to slow down just a bit?

The answer isn’t too mind-taxing. We can turn to God and His eternal truths.

Right now, electronically and in print, we have the greatest access ever in history to God’s word in His Holy Scriptures. When you read His very words, written thousands of years ago by Spirit-inspired writers, it’s stunning to see the timelessness of their content.

God’s concepts, commandments, blessings, stories, prophecies, attributes, prayers, and more are reassuringly constant each time I read them. And yet, His mercies and messages are new and fresh every morning. They never get old or outdated.

His greatest promise to us as we age? He renews our minds and transforms them by His Holy Spirit. We know that, even as our memories fade, we will be refreshed and renewed by His Spirit when we turn our eyes to Him. And we will have perfect brains again in heaven, using them for His worship and glory.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we can be renewed daily by starting our mornings in communion with Him and listening to His words. We put on His armor to shield us from the enemy, and we gain His strength for the day’s battles ahead. We are transformed from the old into the new. It’s sort of like downloading a computer upgrade every day…with cybersecurity.

Whenever you hit the frustrating limits of your computer’s or phone’s capabilities—and in your own brain’s function as well—remember that regardless of the chaos in your changing world, God remains constant. He is eternal. He is immutable, never changing.

Start your day with Him, and make His Bible part of your daily “mindset upload” routine!

Heavenly Father, eternal and unchanging, let me rest in Your words and promises today. Pause the mentally-tiring demands of my day to speak Your truth into my mind and heart. Help me remember that Your Scriptures are profitable for building me up—renew my mind daily with their inspiration. In Jesus’ name, Amen.