I'm not against technology, but all tools should be used to

The words of J. I. Packer — “I’m not against technology, but all tools should be used to their best advantage. We should be spending our time on things that have staying power, instead of on the latest thought of the latest blogger — and then moving on quickly to the next blogger.” — ring with the wisdom of one who understood the difference between what is fleeting and what endures. In this age of noise and ceaseless chatter, his voice rises like a warning bell, calling us back to the path of permanence, depth, and truth. For what is the use of endless novelty if it leaves behind no roots, no fruit, no memory?

To speak of technology and tools is to acknowledge their power. The ancients had their tools as well — the stylus, the scroll, the forum — and each was capable of shaping thought for generations. But tools themselves are neither good nor evil; they are made noble or hollow by the way they are used. Packer reminds us that advantage comes not from constant consumption of the new, but from directing these tools toward what enriches the soul and strengthens the mind. Without wisdom, tools become distractions; with wisdom, they become instruments of transformation.

The warning against chasing “the latest thought of the latest blogger” is not merely about modern writings, but about the human tendency to be intoxicated by novelty. The ancients knew this temptation. In Athens, men gathered daily in the marketplace not to seek truth, but to hear “some new thing.” Yet it was Socrates who stood against this tide, urging them to look deeper, to test ideas, to seek what had staying power. His questions outlived the fleeting words of the marketplace because they were rooted in eternal concerns.

History offers a clearer mirror still. Consider the printing press of Gutenberg, one of humanity’s most powerful tools. When first used, many feared it would flood the world with trivialities. And indeed, it did produce its share of fleeting works. Yet because it was turned also to the advantage of truth — the Scriptures, the classics, the works of great minds — it became not a passing novelty but a revolution of enduring significance. The staying power of the press was not in the ink, but in the choice of what was worthy to preserve.

Packer’s words speak, too, to the fleeting habits of our own lives. How often do we chase novelty — the new opinion, the new distraction, the new amusement — only to find ourselves empty, unrooted, restless? To move on endlessly without depth is to drift like a leaf blown by the wind. But to dwell upon what is lasting — wisdom, truth, faith, love — is to plant oneself beside a river, drawing strength for the long years. The heart that feeds only on novelty grows hungry again and again; the heart that feeds on what is eternal grows strong.

The lesson is clear: use technology and tools, but do not be ruled by them. Seek out what will endure beyond the hour — ideas that sharpen the mind, values that strengthen character, truths that shape generations. Resist the seduction of the merely new, and instead devote your time to what will outlive you. For in choosing what has staying power, you join yourself to the eternal stream that has carried humanity’s wisdom through the ages.

Practical wisdom follows. Each day, ask yourself: is what I read, watch, or create feeding my soul, or is it merely filling the silence? Choose books, mentors, and ideas that stretch you. When you use technology, use it with purpose, not as a slave to its endless offerings. Seek depth over breadth, substance over novelty, and truth over noise. In doing so, you will not be carried away by every fleeting voice, but will stand firm upon the foundation of what is lasting.

Thus, Packer’s words endure as a compass for our restless age: tools must serve wisdom, not distraction. Let us not waste our lives chasing the winds of novelty, forever moving on without growing deeper. Instead, let us turn our hearts toward what is timeless, for only in such devotion will we find strength, stability, and meaning that endures beyond the clamor of the day.