According to legend (have computers been around long enough to have legends already?), the term ‘bug’ comes from the early days, when there were only a few computers in the entire world, when they consisted of thousands of vacuum tubes connected by miles of electrical wire, and filled entire rooms. Supposedly, one of these early behemoths began producing erratic results. To solve this problem, the operators removed the cover panels and inspected every tube, every section of wire. Deep in the innards they found that an insect (hence, a ‘bug’) had immolated itself by coming in contact with two separate wires. By shorting the electrical circuit, the insect caused the computer to produce the wrong result. That’s their story, anyway, and they’re sticking to it. Ever since then, unexpected computer errors have been called ‘bugs’ (expected errors are called ‘features’).
The integrated circuit – computer ‘chip’ to people like me – reduced that roomfull of wires and tubes into something as small as a postage stamp. If computer scientists did that in hopes that it would be too small for insects to cause mischief, they must be disappointed. My experience tells me that no matter how small they make the computer chip, somehow ‘bugs’ still find their way in.
I wish I could say that my experience with computers contrasts with the rest of my life, but I can’t. It often seems that circumstances beyond my control conspire to frustrate my plans. Such circumstances certainly ‘bug’ me, if you know what I mean.
When computer bugs cause me difficulty, experts – virtually anyone under 25, in my experience – tell me to ‘reboot’ it. Makes me wonder how they knew I wanted to kick it in the first place. Sometimes rebooting works for my computer, but I can’t just start my life over to deal with every problem.
When rebooting doesn’t work for my computer, I can turn to the computer manuals. Computer experts assure me that the manual contains all the answers, but manuals face me with two challenges. First, although the words are obviously English, much of the time I can’t understand what I’m reading. And even when the instructions are clear, I can’t always locate the ones I need. So even when the information is available, I need help both finding it, and understanding it. I need the ‘Help Desk,’ you know, someone I can talk to, who can tell me what I need to know, and where to find it. That’s why, when it comes to computers, I always look for three precious words: free telephone support.
Now, some people believe that life has a manual too: the Bible. But, like computer manuals, even if the Bible does contain what we need, often we need help both in finding the pertinent passages in the Bible, and understanding how to apply what the Bible says to the circumstances we find ourselves in. Now, any God worthy of the title must be wiser than Microsoft, Dell or Apple, and surely would have provided a ‘Help Desk’ with ‘free support.’ He did! Christians call it ‘prayer.’
Now, prayer is like the ‘Help desk’ in that it’s there to help you when you need it. But prayer is far better than any earthly computer support service.
Never Put on ‘Hold.’ When we pray, there’s no waiting on hold ‘for our next available service representative.’ No need to listen to strange music or obscure local radio while our frustration grows. We don’t have to wade through endless menus– ‘For help with money, press 1; for help with medical problems, press 2, for help with . . . for all other questions, press zero.’ The Bible teaches that prayer is a direct line to God. We get right through with our concerns.
Straight to the Top. Can you imagine calling for help with your operating system, and getting Microsoft founder Bill Gates himself on the phone? With prayer, we get something like that, only infinitely better. When we pray, we get the attention of God himself. He doesn’t transfer us to some underling. We won’t get shuffled back and forth between the hardware and software support desks. We get the Big Guy himself. The one the Bible says made us and knows what makes us tick.
We may be reluctant to call computer support, because we don’t want to look foolish, don’t want to be put down. But when it comes to prayer, God isn’t too busy or tired of our problems, he won’t put us down. So don’t hesitate to pray.
No Ticking Clock. Earthly computer companies often charge by the minute for support. When we pray, we can take as long as we want. God’s ear doesn’t get too tired to listen, and he’s in no hurry.
No Specialised Jargon. Talking to computer support people can seem like speaking a foreign language. For example, if you can’t rewrite CD-ROM/RWs from XP, you might have to load new drivers, reboot the CPU, reconfigure the RAM, and tweak the BIOS – or something like that. With all those strange terms, it can be intimidating even to ask for help, since we may not know how to ask for what we really need.
Contrary to popular impressions of prayer, God doesn’t require any technical jargon. When accessing life’s ‘Help Desk,’ we need not speak in ‘thees’ and ‘thous,’ nor do we need to concern ourselves with what other people might think of our words, just tell God what’s bugging us, what’s really on our hearts.
Beyond Troubleshooting. Because of the inconvenience and cost of computer support, most of us use it sparingly. Prayer is different. With no waiting, no time limits, no cost, no concerns about jargon, and access to the very top, there’s no reason to wait for trouble before you pray. As one early user of the Help Desk wrote, ‘If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.’ (James 1:5, The Message)
Imagine if you could ask Bill Gates or Michael Dell or Steve Jobs about how to use your computer before you made a mistake. Try talking to God on a regular basis, sharing your true concerns, fears, struggles, and worries with him. Not only can this help you avoid trouble in the future, you’ll develop a strong friendship with One who never criticises or ridicules you for your mistakes, who always listens patiently to your needs. Hey, he even likes to hear about your good times too.
Prayer allows us to access life’s ‘Help Desk,’ to receive guidance and understanding. It helps us understand and cope with life when circumstances conspire against us. When troubles arise, it’s nice to know we have a Friend at life’s ‘Help Desk,’ and he’s only a prayer away.
According to legend (have computers been around long enough to have legends already?), the term ‘bug’ comes from the early days, when there were only a few computers in the entire world, when they consisted of thousands of vacuum tubes connected by miles of electrical wire, and filled entire rooms. Supposedly, one of these early behemoths began producing erratic results. To solve this problem, the operators removed the cover panels and inspected every tube, every section of wire. Deep in the innards they found that an insect (hence, a ‘bug’) had immolated itself by coming in contact with two separate wires. By shorting the electrical circuit, the insect caused the computer to produce the wrong result. That’s their story, anyway, and they’re sticking to it. Ever since then, unexpected computer errors have been called ‘bugs’ (expected errors are called ‘features’). 
