I received a text message the other day from a friend. It reminded me of the scene from a movie where someone actually insults someone in the other person's language when they intended the comment to be a compliment. Voice recognition isn't all that it's cranked up to be...yet. We are at the mercy of whomever designs and implements the program. It's not a one size fits all thing. Even my GPS has difficulty conversing to me. I don't have the option of conversing with it. However, it does have the chance to interpret where I turn and what lane to be in to get from point A to point B. Telling me that I need to turn left when the road only turns right is funny but frustrating. So is autocorrect. I've had people in my life who are determined to "autocorrect" me on pronunciations, spellings, accuracy, whatever else I'm doing "wrong" in their mind. The more insecure the person, the greater the autocorrect process. This is particularly frustrating when they know precisely what I meant when I said what I said. You maybe have similar situations where you've felt just as put out as I do. If you know what I mean what's the purpose in autocorrect? I'd like to turn it off in people like I can with my cell phone or GPS. Wouldn't that be interesting!
People like to tell jokes. I love to tell jokes. I love to hear jokes. My enjoyment in hearing jokes is to see and feel the happiness the teller has in delivery. When someone tells me a joke I don't interrupt with "I've heard this one before." I listen and do an obligatory laugh or groan. Why? Because the telling of the joke isn't about me. It's about interaction with another human being where they are. It's putting importance on someone's interaction with me. It's important to me that I convey my pleasure that they have thought it important enough to engage me. When someone tells me, "I've heard that one already." my countenance sinks and I get turned off. Same with the person who does the autocorrect thing. Turning off my desire to communicate with them is my autocorrect. When we approach people with the Gospel the same rules of engagement are employed. I heard it said once, "People don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care." Are you listening autocorrect people? When we approach or are approached, how do people perceive us? Are we open to information, comments and autocorrect? Are they open to the Gospel being shared or rammed down their throats? Are you stating the Gospel or are you living the Gospel?
Living with others isn't easy when they are on autocorrect. Why? Because the need to be right overshadows the desire to love. Love isn't about autocorrect. Love is about being Christ to people in such a way that they want what you have, desire your input, and engage you because you care. Are those hallmarks in our lives? If you are living a life of autocorrect you have a wall put up that tells the world that life is to be lived and interacted with on your level and definition alone. Sometimes I think it would be nice to have never evolved to a place where we autocorrect. Don't get me wrong, there are times when we need to say that "hard" thing, confront sin, and hold accountable. If we do that in love, Christ's love, people will know it's God's love and not our autocorrect. If your life is marked with having to be right, you're not. If your life is isolated and no one knows you really, you're not sharing Christ's love. The Word of God is a lamp unto our path so that we are attracted to the lit walkway instead of avoiding the light. When autocorrect is turned on we frustrate people and send them away from the very God we want them to see. Autocorrect...it's our choice. Turn it off.
No comments:
Post a Comment