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Article Archive |
2008
Crash Prevention
by Jim Morris
Computers crash. It is my experience that they are unstable, unreliable, and easily messed up. I just loved the times when I was about to save and print out a sermon, article or research paper and nothing happened. The document was so close but I could not get to it. I tried all of the keys until a message popped up, “Your application has committed a Fatal Error!” Then came the “blue screen of death.” Wow. I was just typing...
Actually, a computer can make work much faster and easier. I do not like writing by hand. Besides being slow and sloppy with a pen, editing my work is tedious. Word processors are so much better at it. In fact, computers handle very tedious and repetitive tasks with unbelievable speed.
How can we prevent crashes? We cannot but we can minimize their frequency and severity. Here is what I suggest.
First, learn more about your PC and its applications. Develop a sense of curiosity about your machine. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Talk with more experienced users to discover their tips and to develop a sense of community. Read books about your PC and the things you want it to do. Subscribe to good magazines and online articles to stay in touch with the latest tips and tricks.
Second, run frequent diagnostic and repair applications. Get rid of trash and temporary files that clog up your hard drive. Remove old programs and files that are no longer needed. Archive and back up work files. Run disk & registry scanners to repair file system conflicts. Defragment your hard drive to speed up everything.
Third, keep your security system up to date. Always use a good virus scanner, firewall, and privacy service to protect you. Keep those applications up to date because hackers, crackers, spammers, and other abusers never give up. “Keep the shields up, Scottie!”
People crash, too. Some of us are downright unstable, unreliable, and easily messed up. However, we can learn to minimize the frequency and severity of our crashes, too.
First, learn more about how God designed us to work. Read His word daily. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Talk with experienced Christians to gain from their insights and to develop a community with God's people. Read good books and magazines to keep learning.
Second, examine your life and repent as needed. Get rid of the trash and useless temporary things of this life. Protect the good you have already done. Review each day about how you could have done better and take steps to change. Prioritize your life. Put the most important things at the top of your list: (1) love God, and (2) love your neighbor.
Third, guard your life. Satan is always ready to tempt, snare and kill the unwary. He never gives up. None of us need to be found with a “fatal error” or a “blue screen of death.” Therefore, “Keep the shields up, Scottie!”
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:7).
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