Last year in Australia, just under half of us had smartphones. Research by IT researcher Telsyte reveals that by 2015, that figure will rocket to almost 90 percent.

The point is obvious. We will soon be plugged up to our eyeballs. At any second of the day Aussies will be able to Skype friends in other countries, follow obscure sporting tournaments, and consume media that has no relevance to our lives.

Many of us already do.

I know a couple of Christians who have opted out of using smartphones, preferring older mobiles that simply do what phones have always done: ring people. And I can appreciate the wisdom in that. It may be the truly smart choice yet.

A Bible verse as the background on an iPad

But for those of us who keep using these incredibly useful warp holes: how can we use them wisely?

Lately I’ve done something very simple. But its power is staggering. I have downloaded Bible verses as the background for my iPad and iPhone.

As Christians, we believe that God’s word pierces our hearts. “For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:17)

As my eyes fall across God’s word when I log onto my tablet or phone, I am confronted. My heart is assessed. Hopefully I see the technology – with its limitless avenues for global good as well as self interest – as a tool for achieving God’s will, and not my own.

When Moses reminded the Israelites of God’s law in Deuteronomy 6:6-9, he told them the words should be “in your heart”. “Repeat them to your children,” he said. “Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead.Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

I wonder what Moses would say if he could see the ocean of distractions before us? Downloading some Bible wallpapers may be a start.

But it is only a start.

Header image: flickr_o2 in Deutschland