Spiritual Updates vs iOS Updates

Apple just released a new iOS update. And listen—I’m not rushing to install it. I’ve seen too many TikToks of people crying because their phone now thinks their mom is “Spam Risk” or their alarm clock got replaced with a Taylor Swift song at full blast. No, thank you.

Meanwhile, my phone is over here screaming with that little red bubble like, “Hey, you’re running iOS 18 while everyone else is living their best life on iOS 26. Get it together.”

And honestly… that’s exactly how God works in my recovery.

He’s like:

• “You’re still running on Fear 1.0, and I’ve got Peace 5.0 waiting.”

• “Still carrying Shame Beta? I’ve got a full release version of Grace.”

• “Why are you holding onto that glitchy Unforgiveness app? It drains your battery and keeps crashing your relationships.”

But just like with iPhone updates, I hesitate. What if the new version is hard? What if I “crash”? What if I don’t know how to function without my old system—even if it’s broken?

That’s where scripture speaks louder than my fear.

Isaiah 43:19 says: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

God isn’t pushing some buggy beta test on us. His updates are tested, secure, and meant to fix the junk we keep trying to work around. In Celebrate Recovery, we call that junk “hurts, habits, and hang-ups.” Apple calls it “known issues.” Either way, they slow us down until we finally hit install.

So maybe today’s prayer is:

“God, help me stop ghosting Your notifications. I don’t want to keep running outdated versions of faith, forgiveness, or freedom. Update me with Your Spirit—full install, no skipping restart.”

Because unlike iOS updates, God’s upgrades never eat up your storage. They actually set you free.

Deep thoughts with Dawn.