Standing in a long queue at the park café, I quickly tapped my phone on the card reader to pay with Google Pay. Nothing happened. Panic set in.
Thankfully, the assistant rescued me: “You need to double-click the side button,” she explained. I hadn’t realized that’s how Apple Pay works. Yet another lesson in my transition from Android to iPhone.
It’s been a week since I made the leap. After years with Samsung and Android, I decided it was time for an iPhone. With my desktop and iPad already Mac, it made sense – but I knew it was going to be difficult to unlearn old habits. Something as simple as silencing my phone now involves a toggle switch, not a tap on the screen.
It struck me how much harder it is to unlearn than to learn. My old economics supervisor often said that, and I’m finding it true. Habits dig deep. Changing them is a process.
It reminds me of the transformation Paul describes to the Colossians: moving from "the dominion of darkness to the Kingdom of light" (Colossians 1:13). Becoming a Christian is like installing a new operating system. Old ways clash with new ones.
Paul urges in Romans 12:2: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Or, as J.B. Phillips memorably paraphrases: "Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within."
This renewal doesn’t happen overnight. Just like learning my way around an iPhone, following Jesus means rethinking how we respond to life’s challenges. We forgive instead of holding grudges, give instead of taking, and love as Christ loved us. Old instincts don’t die easily, but with the Holy Spirit’s help, change takes root.
And Christian fellowship matters. That café assistant saw me struggling and offered simple guidance. In the same way, we need one another on this journey. Paul advises in Galatians 6:2: "When anyone among you has troubles, you must help each other. If you do that, you will be obeying Christ's rule." What seems obvious to one person may be brand new to another.
Learning my iPhone has involved watching YouTube clips as well as working my way through the manual. Spiritually, disciplined Bible reading and sound teaching guide us just as tutorials help me navigate my new phone.
I don’t just want to get by with my iPhone; I want to use its full potential. Likewise, the Holy Spirit pushes us beyond comfort zones, helping us rely not on our perceived abilities but on God’s limitless resources. Who knows where he is taking us next
One iPhone feature I love? Instant connection. Visiting our daughter, I needed her Wi-Fi password. No typing endless codes—just a tap of her iPhone, and I was online. That seamless connection mirrors what the Holy Spirit aims to cultivate among us: unity and shared strength.
Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages: "Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good... let us encourage one another all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Nearly all my devices are now Mac. Just one last transition: Dropbox to iCloud. Brothers and sisters, pray for me!
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