I am not talking about the computer brand apple, I am talking Garden of Eden apple.

One of God’s first instructions to man was:

“You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die.”

Genesis 2:16-17

And yet we ate.

All it took was one serpent tempting us with the power to be like gods, to know all things.

From the very beginning we have been tempted with knowledge, and more than that, power. The ability to know all, to be all, to create all. To be like God.

God created us perfectly. We have an unbounded ability to think, to learn, to create, to build, to develop. And God gave us the ability to create more perfect beings. His very first instruction to us was:

“Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth.”

Genesis 1:28

But we freeze eggs until it is convenient, we destroy unwanted babies, and we build AI robots. I doubt this is the fertility and multiplication that God intended.

God created the earth, the sea and the sky, and it is incredible and intricate and GORGEOUS, particularly on a beautiful fall day. But we sit inside and look at computer screens and AI-generated images instead.

God created us with beautiful minds, intellect and creativity, and we created AI to think and create for us.

God recognized that it was not good for man to be alone and so he created woman. We were designed for community. We were designed to share God’s love with others. But we now design AI-bots to be our friends.

Have we gone too far? Are we being further tempted away from God’s plan? Will we destroy the actual intelligence that God gave us in favor of the man-made artificial intelligence? Will we destroy the actual beauty around us in favor of the artificial “beauty” created on a screen? Will we accept the serpent’s invite “to be like gods” and miss Jesus’ calling to follow Him?

Lord,

I love the world that you created! I am grateful for the actual intelligence you gave me, my individual creativity, and the people you place along my path. As the world continues to develop and create AI, help us to not lose sight of you, your will, and your plan. I want to develop the talents and gifts you gave me, and not get distracted by something that, by its very name, is artificial. I want to know the Truth. I want to follow the Way and the Truth that you have provided.