A patent was filed in 1971 by Theodore George Paraskevakos for the invention of Caller ID. He had been working on it since 1968. Wow, this seems so far away now. As the nature of technology is, it begins in its infancy in a crude form and then continues to be improved upon. Controversy surrounded his idea for decades. The thought of blocking people you did not want to speak to or forcing them to unblock your number was a foreign concept in those days even well into the late 1980’s and early ninety’s. It was a feature that you could purchase on a land line home phone, if anyone is still familiar with what those are, and it was known as ‘Caller ID.’ It was thought to be well worth the extra cost by those who were forward thinkers. It comes standard on cellphones these days and we would not expect anything different; it is second nature to us now.
It acts as a filter or screening device so that you can know who called and if you want to call them back. It also was used in making the decision as to whether you wanted to answer the call or not and whether you would answer even if you did not want to. This was considered rude, as previously stated, however, it was a personal choice, and you were paying the bill for the feature. It was also a way of preparing you for who might be on the line. If it said private, it would raise suspicions, it could be a telemarketer, or a fraud call and you could choose if you wanted to answer or at least be prepared if you did. It could be your mother-in-law, or an annoying friend and you could choose to answer or not and be prepared ahead of time for that as well. If you did answer out of curiosity or courtesy you would still maintain the option, because it is your phone, to say no to whatever they are trying to peddle and hang up or just cut the conversation short and hang up if it is a friend or relative that is aggravating you.
We have come a long way technologically. Most households do not even have a landline home phone and it is a foreign concept to most young people. However, caller ID is still with us. So much so, that if we are not careful, we could miss an important call. For instance, if you have applied for a job, you must turn off the call blockers on your phone or at least answer all calls because you do not know what number that employer will call you from and you could forfeit your opportunity or miss your chance if you do not answer. There could be emergencies that arise and if you do not answer the phone, you may not get the important news that is on the other end. We must drive the technology, not be driven by it. Use it wisely, do not just follow all the latest trends which could end up being bad advice.
In our walk with God, His spirit renews our minds and can function as our Caller ID. It leads and guides us and lets us know who it is that is trying to interject things into our lives and whether we should ‘answer that call’ or not. Romans 12:1-2 states, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” It becomes our call blocker and spam detector, but we still have the control over the decisions we make. God does not force us to do anything we do not willingly want to do. But we listen to Him and obey him because we know it pleases him and it keeps us from pitfalls and ‘telemarketers’ who are trying to sell us a bill of good spiritually speaking. Romans 8:6-9 says, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So, then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
Our carnal mind causes death physically and spiritually, now and future because we listen to the wrong directions that lead us down faulty paths to destructive choices and behavior. By listening to the Spirit, we can have life, both physically and spiritually, now and in the future, because of listening to the voice of God, we will make wise decisions which will lead to peace and contentment in our lives. The Spirit allows us to mature in the Lord and as we do, we learn how to detect red flags or dangers that are coming our way. Just as the caller ID will be our filter and show us who is on the other end. This helps us please God daily even when no one else is around. Just as a new cellphone or device, there may be a learning curve to see what all its features are and how it can be of use to us.
No matter your stage in your spiritual walk with the Lord, how old or young you are, how educated you may be, there are still daily choices to be made. Once you have heard the voice of the Lord, and your mind begins knowing how to process information through the filter of the Holy Ghost, you still have the choice as to what to do next. Do I answer this call? Do I look at this video? Do I go here or there? 2 Corinthians 6:17 states, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” As a new believer, when you are born into your new family of God, you have a new identity, a ‘new phone number,’ and you begin to take on the family traits. You begin to become recognizable as a child of God through allowing His Spirit to shine through you. Hebrews 12:14-15, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”
This brings us to the next question. What if I answer a call that I did not mean to, or my curiosity got the better of me, what should I do? Ephesians states 4:26-27,
“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.” You will know the moment you answer ‘the call’ that it is a spam, a trick, or a phishing expedition, but it will be up to you to determine how far you will be reeled in. You have to learn to say no, and learn how to give an answer for your faith, as 1 Peter 3:15-16 tells us, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” Do not be afraid to block calls from those who are toxic. They are not contributing anything wholesome or good to your life. If we do slip up, have no fear, we can delete those annoying calls and their influences, this can happen to us all on occasion when we are caught unaware. 1 John 1:8-9 states, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
By using the Spirit as the filter or Caller ID for our lives, we can have peace in our hearts and minds. Our emotions, thoughts, responses to adverse situations and daily decisions we make will conform to what will please the Lord. We can have the peace that Philippians 4:7 tells us about, “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Webster’s dictionary tells us that peace is “a state of tranquility or quiet, harmony in personal relations, freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions.” These things and more the Lord gives us, so much so, that oft times we may be astounded and not even be able to believe that we have peace when our circumstances may not have even changed one iota. There may still be turmoil all around, but the Lord keeps our heart and minds in peace. This feature comes standard to every child of God who follows the Spirit, no extra charge! Jesus has already paid the bill in full.
Who is it that keeps dialing your number? Is your filter, caller ID on? Are you listening to the Spirit of the Lord? What choices are you making in your life? Now is the suitable time to go into your ‘systems updates’ and let the updates run its course. Do not push that delay button or ‘reschedule for tomorrow.’ The best time to be running on a fresh newly updated system is right now. You do not want any glitches or missed calls from the Master or any spam calls to sneak in. It is your device; you have control over it. Update today!