Christian Perspective on the Industrial

Revolution

             As we look around us today at the effects of the Industrial Revolution, we take it for granted. We rarely wonder if it was good or not. From the point of view of our modern lifestyle, we cannot believe that it would be anything other than good. But, have we ever stopped to wonder if the Industrial Revolution was good? How should we as Christians living in the results of the Industrial Revolution view it? In some ways, this may be a very difficult question to answer, but in the end, the answer is really amazingly simple.

            First off, the world does not need technology to sin. Man is totally depraved and has worked evil ever since Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden. But, technology such as the Internet and television have opened up new ways that evil can be brought right into our homes without us even being aware of it. Advances in medicine have made abortion practical and even accepted. In the world around us, we see sin penetrating into every corner of our society, a society with more time on its hands than it knows what to do with because of technology. However, we have to remember than the machines are not evil in themselves, but it is depraved human nature that uses them for evil instead of to serve the Lord.

            Yet, as much evil as technology has incited, it can also be used rightly. The Internet has been used by many churches, such as the Protestant Reformed Churches, to spread the message of the gospel throughout the world. Email can help pastors contact the people in their congregations and elsewhere easier than every before. Missionaries are no longer completely cut off from the rest of the world when they go into places like Africa, but can communicate through email or by telephone to their churches, or can quickly fly home for a visit if they wish. The relative wealth enjoyed by our society has allowed many people to be able to give more freely in support of their churches. Machines such as washing machines give women more time to raise their children in the fear of the Lord, while airplanes and cars can help salesmen to cover more country, but still get home in time for church on Sunday. The Industrial Revolution and its ensuing burst of technology have helped spread the gospel around the world.

            So was the Industrial Revolution good? The simple answer is yes. We need look no farther than the Bible to find that answer. Romans 8:28 states “And we know that all things shall to work together for good to them that love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.” All things work together for the good of the church. God specifically designed every single battle, famine, epidemic, depression, economic boom, and technological advancement for His glory and the furtherance of His church. It is our Lord, the Father who sent His Son to earth to die for His elect children, who directs all of history. Of course all things work together for our good, including the Industrial Revolution.

            So how should we view it? We must strive to use God’s gifts to the best of our ability for His glory. Those gifts include the gifts given to us by the Industrial Revolution: our easy life, the medical advances, the machines that produce goods faster than ever before, and the jobs that God has provided us with. We can support the work of our missionaries in other lands. We can support our fellow Christians no matter what denomination they go to when a natural disaster strikes. We can make Christian websites where people can learn about God’s love. That is how we should view the Industrial Revolution. It is a gift that God has given us. We just have to be good stewards and use it properly.