Relationship, Reflection, Reliance, Reverence
After an unplanned hiatus, I am happy to be writing again. A lot has been going on. Since my last post, my wife and I started our new jobs. I said goodbye to the youth soccer team I had coached for the past four years, and we packed up our first home in Decatur, GA, to move to Dallas, TX. We celebrated Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, my wife’s birthday, and my son’s first birthday.
Unfortunately, amidst all of that, some responsibilities were dropped. I didn’t keep up with my blog, my prayer life and Bible reading declined, and the quality time I spent with my family decreased. I’m still kicking myself for not documenting many of these events—this blog is meant to be a reflection of my life as a father, and so many of these moments were significant.
It would be easy and understandable to write off my neglect of the blog by saying, “I was busy,” but my conviction reminds me that I should never be too busy to do what God has called me to do. I’m reminded that when we aren’t intentional and let our guard down, everything that opposes our peace, prosperity, and purpose continues working around the clock. It doesn’t rest. Often, we appear unaffected—not due to our own strength or resilience—but because of God’s grace in our lives.
My family has now settled in Dallas, and I finally have the mental clarity to reorient my life in a way that nurtures peace, prosperity, and purpose. To do so, I must reflect on four key components of my faith: my relationship with God, my reflections about God, my reliance on God, and my reverence for God.
Relationship – Intimate time in the Word and in prayer, learning God’s character.
Reflection – The ability to remind ourselves and think deeply about what we’ve learned about God and how He has impacted our lives.
Reliance – Coming to God first with every need, and giving Him praise and honor for all we have.
Reverence – Inviting opportunities for childlike wonder, mystery, and awe-inspiring moments that only God can create.
These components have always been vital. Our desire for them remains a constant, but the world often offers counterfeit avenues to God. In biblical times, we saw this:
The Tree of Knowledge – A shortcut to knowing like God.
The Tower of Babel – A shortcut to the capabilities of God.
The Golden Calf – A tangible representation meant to replace God.
All were false attempts to replace God.
Today’s technologies are attempting the same, but at a faster pace than most of us can comprehend. We live in a world where social media engagement is confused with relationship. Conversations with chatbots are mistaken for reflection. Immediate access to all information via AI becomes the new standard for reliance. Reverence is fleeting, reduced to the efficacy of a prompt that makes imagination a product. Many now treat technology as divine, or believe it promises a future in which we too can become gods. But this adulterated version of God robs us of peace, prosperity, and purpose. We must remain vigilant lest we fall victim to our own creations.
As a father, part of my God-given assignment is to be a spiritual guide for my family. I believe this role will only grow more difficult. How do we teach our children that evidence of God isn’t defined by convenience, but that God’s true design involves friction—friction that builds real relationship, cultivates deep reflection, requires faith-filled reliance, and inspires reverence through awe?
These benefits take effort, dedication and time — one of God’s greatest gift.
Before the rise of today’s technology, life was inherently full of friction. Relationships, spiritual reflection, reliance on something greater, and reverence for the supernatural weren’t optional—they were essential. That is still true today, though for many, they’ve fallen low on the priority list.
I’m not perfect. I use and at times abuse technology. I recognize the risks. While we’re promised that new tech will provide ease and abundance, a life free of friction is like a sugar-free product that promises sweetness but ultimately will give you cancer.
I began writing this blog post at the airport on my way to a friend’s 40th birthday weekend. At the time, I was especially aware that I had let my spiritual foot off the gas. Although there weren’t any immediate consequences, I sensed that future neglect could carry greater weight—especially in this rapidly changing world my son is growing up in.
When my friend’s father picked me up and we engaged in conversation for multiple hours, I felt encouraged. When we arrived at the campsite, I was surrounded by families—adults and kids everywhere. Each day included gatherings by the river, kids swimming and playing by the river, mountain biking, laughter, games, and abundant food and drink. We shared deep conversations about life, parenting, and travel. The setting—mountains, trees, and a flowing river was stunning.
I recognize that the environment I entered exists because of years of commitment towards one another, values that bore fruit, and a dedicated wife who made sure everyone had a good time.
Yes, there was electricity and Wi-Fi, but surprisingly, it was the God-given natural elements that sustained us. Phones weren’t used for entertainment or doomscrolling. Kids played freely. For a weekend, it felt like time reversed—and the essence of humanity was rising instead of declining.
So, as I end this blog post, I feel encouraged. People can’t replace God, but they can reflect Him. I was reminded that:
There are communities where relationships thrive.
Communities where kids and adults engage instead of escaping into screens.
Communities where parents support one another.
Places where deep conversations lead to reflection.
Places so beautiful that you can’t help but say, “God is good.”
It takes effort to build and maintain relationships. It takes effort to disconnect from modern comfort. It takes effort to explore nature’s wonder. But its always worth it.
The existential threat of unchecked technological advancement still exists—but instead of forecasting a bleak future, this weekend helped me see a new beginning. A beginning where my faith in God is renewed, and where I choose to double down on what truly matters: relationship, reflection, reliance, and reverence—in God and all He’s given us.
My encouragement to you: Pause and consider how you’ll protect your family from paths that lead away from God, and instead guide them toward faith in the one true God—not a counterfeit. Make sure they have the support and resources to live a life rooted in peace, prosperity, and purpose. The threats we face are great, but our God is greater.
