You be asking “will AI replace my job?”

This is a scary reality, but I’m seeing a more shocking conversation occur.

What if AI replaces God?

This past week I attended the Together conference, hosted by the Good Works Community. AI strategist, Albert Chen was the keynote speaker, and he said something that has deeply impacted me: AI is revealing our idolatry.

Convicting right?! AI isn't just a productivity tool anymore. It's a mirror, showing us what we actually worship and desire: efficiency, control, comfort. Have we stopped for long to sit and consider this?

The conversations around AI amongst Christians right now, I believe, are focused on the wrong areas. Yes, we should be concerned about job replacement and work ethic. But how about deception and idolatry.

The core of this is a question on formation: How is this tool shaping who I'm becoming? Is it making me more like Jesus — or less? 

Often we fall into one of two camps. You have avoidance — people who refuse to engage out of fear or skepticism. And then uncritical adoption — those who sprint out ahead without pausing to ask what might this technology be doing to their soul and relationship with God.

Here’s my own experience.

I tend to be more visionary in how I think. I have a never ending stream of new ideas. For most of my life, that meant I'd start something, get excited about the next thing, and leave a trail of half-built or never-started projects behind me. AI has dramatically helped me with this. Suddenly I had an integrator that could help me turn ideas into reality. I could build the app, write the document, and create the presentation. What was stuck in my head finally became real. THis has been hugely motivating for me.

But, I began to notice something.

I stopped double-checking my work. I've let AI take on the critical thinking and intentionally that God has uniquely given me. Yes, I might produce more, but my intentionality has dropped significantly. I’m not proud of this

AI made me more “productive” but it has also exposed something in me — a willingness to settle, a temptation to let the machine carry a load that forms me and shapes my character

This is the mirror. Reflecting back to me the dark desires of my heart.

In Galatians 5, Paul draws a clear line. We can walk by the Spirit, or we can gratify the desires of the flesh.

This principle practically applies to everything we can see — money, influence, technology, even our own bodies. Everything, and more specifically, every tool, can be used in the spirit or in the flesh. The tool itself isn't the issue. Our relationship to it is. A drinking glass can either be something to satisfy or thirst or a weapon to inflict harm.

AI in the flesh looks like this: using it to build your kingdom faster. Outsourcing your thinking. Chasing efficiency as an end in itself. Letting it replace the hard, slow, sacred work of discernment. This discernment is key to our formation because it requires us to slow down and listen for the voice of God

AI in the spirit looks different. It's setting a clear intention before you use it. It's saying, "I'm going to use this to refine my thinking, develop my character, free me up for what only a human can do, and help create flourishing for those around me. 

We're not here to live an easier life. We're here to be formed into the image of Jesus. And Jesus went to the cross. He submitted. He obeyed. He chose the narrow path that led to life. 

If you've been abstaining from AI out of fear, here’s an exhortation. Scripture says “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” - 2 Timothy 1:7

Fear keeps us from participating in the redemptive work that God calls us to participate in

Ask the Lord: "Give me eyes to see this as you see it. Give me an imagination for how to use this to bring your kingdom here to Earth as it is in heaven" 

If you've been sprinting ahead with AI, take a moment.

Ask the Lord: "Where have I depended more on AI then I have on you”

You are accountable for what goes out into the world. You have a beautiful soul. God has gifted you with discernment. He wants your heart. Don't allow a machine to have the final word on the good work that God has prepared for you beforehand

Here's what I'd invite you into this week. Take one step.

If you're in the avoidance camp: Start by asking: what are the small tasks that get in the way of your relationships with people? The email formatting, the scheduling, the repetitive admin work. Explore whether AI can carry some of that so you can be more present with the humans in front of you.

If you're in the uncritical adoption camp: Make a list. Draw a line between what AI should do and what it shouldn't. The sacred work — prayer, reading Scripture, asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom, discerning direction for your people — that stays outside the machine. Protect it.

For everyone: Take time to imagine. Ask God, "What could this tool be used for?" When you start asking that question with an open hand, something profound happens. 

What is the mirror of AI revealing about your own heart?

With brotherly love, Hayden