Welcome to another Thursday Update! I hope you have enjoyed these as I slowly learn what form they will ultimately take.
If you have been reading any of my other posts, you know I’ve been researching and learning a lot about this whole crypto world. It’s truly fascinating and cool to see the “movement” of sorts. Something I have been thinking for a long time is that the Google, Amazon, and Facebooks of the world are becoming more powerful than our own government. I always thought that was honestly pretty cool, but I get how it’s also scary.
The crazy thing is how all this crypto, decentralized stuff will slowly take power away from those big centralized companies! It’s a similar thing that Airbnb did to the hotel industry or Uber did to the taxi industry. It will be an interesting time to be alive. Though, what time period is not an interesting time to be alive? God didn’t create a boring world!
As I research into it all, most of the communities are filled with very passionate creators and believers, with occasional scammers of course. I’m left with many questions like “how can a decentralized social media ever be ‘safe’ to use?” I don’t know if I’d want my kids using it; though my parents didn’t want me using facebook for the same reason...hmmm.
To be fair to facebook; I know we are all mad about censorship, but they are in a tough place. On one hand, if they keep the platform totally free, then people can blame them for allowing terrorist groups to organize attacks on facebook...not cool. On the flip side, once you start censoring violent content, where is the line? It’s not black and white. So it’s tough and I don’t fully understand or trust how a decentralized network will solve it.
It’s still interesting though!
The biggest thing I’ve noticed in it all, though, is how prevalent money is in our society. The more I study the economics of America, the world, and how crypto plays its part, I am also realizing how many people make a living off of knowing stuff about money. I am noticing how many people are excited over the prospect of making money (myself included tbh), and more importantly how many people are terrified over the future.
The more I see how many people in this world are truly obsessed with money (whether they admit it or not), I can see how important Jesus’s words are against money.
“No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24 CSB).
As we transition into this new crypto/decentralized age it will be more important than ever to remember that. To remember that we put our trust in the Lord and not in money. I know that I personally can struggle with greed, and as a saver by nature, I tend to put my security in money, not the Lord. God has called us to be stewards, not savers and not spenders. That middle ground is hard to be perfect at. It all starts with our desire, though. If we desire God above all else, and constantly seek His will, then we shouldn’t have any issues with money.
I like these verses in response to desiring and seeking God above all else:
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4 ESV).
If our desire is for God and delight in Him, then all our desires will bring Him glory and honor; all our desires will be given to us.
“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation - if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:2-3).
“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” (Psalm 42:1 ESV).