Is ChatGPT Forming Your Faith? | Revive Our Hearts Blog | Revive ...
Half of the searches in my ChatGPT history are ways to avoid setting off my smoke alarm. Let me explain: when I moved into my condo, the detector was located almost directly above the stove in my tiny, unventilated kitchen—a setup that turned every meal into a high-stakes game of “Will This Dish Disturb My Neighbors?” Even after relocating the alarm to a more reasonable spot, it’s still sensitive, set off by even the suggestion of smoke. I’ve spent more evenings than I can count asking ChatGPT to rewrite recipes just to avoid triggering it: tweaking broiler times, lowering oven temps, and strategizing ventilation so I’m no longer a home cook in crisis. If my rental contract didn’t leave me liable, I’d consider throwing the alarm’s batteries in a drawer. But there are obvious reasons it needs to stay. If there’s real smoke, real fire, and real danger, disabling the warning system could spell disaster.
AI Usage: Sirens of Celebration or Warning Signs?
Of course, it’s not always easy to detect whether a warning is a false alarm or reason for concern. Take AI usage for example. ChatGPT and similar tools have made it easier than ever to locate and interpret Bible verses, to receive guidance on challenging topics, and to get answers to questions we’d normally hesitate to ask out loud. Is that a bad thing? Are the alarms unwarranted?
Modern-Day Idols and the Temptation of Immediate Answers
In the last month or so, I’ve heard the mental sirens sounding as I’ve talked to friends. One woman shared that she’d asked ChatGPT to plan out her future and help her achieve all her goals. One man mentioned he was finding answers to his theological questions that people in the church hadn’t been able to answer.
New tools and technology are changing the way we wait, and at this point, it almost feels irresponsible to not use what’s now available. Why wrestle with questions or silence when you can outsource them to a tool that responds in seconds?
Idolatry in the Age of ChatGPT
Exodus 32 remains relevant for us today. Do we need to get rid of all AI-technology in our lives, melting our phones and deleting apps in order to walk faithfully? Of course not. But this passage is a reminder that we may be closer to idolatry than we think—not because we’ve rejected God outright, but because we’re subtly trying to replace Him with what feels more sufficient in the short term.
AI vs. God: The Ultimate Source of Wisdom
In the age of ChatGPT, we’d be wise to remember that God alone knows all things—past, present, and future. He alone can answer every question about the history of the universe, and He alone knows the future. Sometimes we ask AI to map out our lives because we’re trying to bypass the vulnerability required to seek Him in faith.
Heeding the Early Warning Signs
While you likely know and believe this, it still doesn’t take much for our hearts to begin trusting AI more than we trust Him. The more technology advances, the more we’ll all need to pause and assess where convenience may be quietly reshaping our convictions. Think of the following ten questions as a spiritual smoke detector, meant to provide early warning signs and help you continue living in the safest place possible.
Final Thoughts
I asked ChatGPT to write a one-sentence summary to wrap up this post. Here’s what it said: “In a world of instant answers and digital guidance, the question isn’t whether AI is helpful—it’s whether we still believe God is enough.” These posts are forming me as much as they’re informing you.
