Being Human in a Technology-Driven World

Blog by Alan Fadling

Do you ever feel, like I do, that you’re expected to keep going, producing, and performing as if you were a machine? Our culture rewards efficiency and productivity. We can come to believe that our worth is tied to how much we can accomplish. But here’s the good news: You are not a machine. You are a beloved child of your Father in heaven. God made you to live according to human rhythms and limits, and with the need for rest.

You Are More Than What You Do

Machines function based on their utility—how well they perform a task. But God didn’t make human beings that way. We are made in the image of the living God, created for relationship rather than for relentless output. We have emotions, needs, and God-given rhythms that must be honored if we are to thrive.

When we forget this, we can find ourselves exhausted, overwhelmed, and disconnected from the deeper reality of who we are. But when we embrace our identity as God’s children, we discover that our value isn’t tied to our productivity—it’s rooted in love. God created us not as workers first but as his sons and daughters. From that place of secure identity, he invites us to join in the good work he is already doing.

Honoring the Gift of Limits

At first, limits may feel like an imposition, something that restricts our freedom. But in reality, holy limits are a gift. Machines are built to run continuously, but humans require rest and renewal. Ignoring our need for rest and putting in more and more hours doesn’t lead to greater productivity—it leads to exhaustion and burnout. God has woven rest into our design, inviting us to live within the healthy boundaries he has given us.

Embracing our humanity means respecting the limits God has set for us. When we do, we begin to experience a deeper, more sustainable kind of fruitfulness.

A New Way Forward

What would it look like to stop striving to function like a machine and start living like a rooted, flourishing human being? It might mean prioritizing rest, embracing rhythms of work and renewal, and remembering that your worth is not in what you do but in who you are.

God mainly delights in you. He doesn’t value your output more than he treasures your presence. He invites you to live a life in him of sustainable growth, deep joy, and abiding love. Let’s lean into that invitation together.

For Reflection:

• Where in your life do you feel the pressure to function like a machine rather than a human being?
• How might embracing your God-given limits lead to greater peace and deeper fruitfulness?
• What practical step might God be inviting you to take this week to honor your need for rest and renewal?