GPS technology has been a game-changer. No more paper maps. No more sitting in traffic when there’s an alternate route. And no more wondering if your kid is really at the movies like they said they would be.

For navigating from point A to point B, GPS is a fairly neutral technology.

When it comes to tracking our kids’ location, however, its neutrality is up for debate. Although a recent survey found that 80% of parents track their children’s location, that prevalence should not set a precedent for all parents to follow.

Christian parents have the responsibility to examine this technological convenience through the lens of Scripture, asking whether its benefits or detriments win out for God’s glory. Will tracking their location impact our relationship or my ability to disciple, train, and instruct them? Am I deceived into thinking that tracking location is good because of its ease and convenience? Does the tracking app feed my irrational fears about my child’s safety?

To understand a theology of location tracking, we must first understand parenting biblically.

What Does Biblical Parenting Entail?

Obviously, parenting wouldn’t exist without procreation. God created man in His own image, male and female, to become one flesh in marriage in order to ‘fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:27-28). Thus, fatherhood and motherhood are fundamental human responsibilities. More than that, God deemed the work of multiplication a blessing.

Scripture also identifies children as a heritage, a reward from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). Before a single day of their life came to be, all the days ordained for their life were known to God, written in His book (Psalm 139:16). Parents, therefore, are called to be stewards of their children, rather than owners. Biblical parenting requires parents to see themselves as children of God, equally submitting to God’s authority as their own offspring do (Eph. 5:1-2).

God’s Word tells us in both the Old and New Testaments that parents are to train, instruct, and discipline children (Deut. 6:6-7, Ephesians 6:1-4). The training and instruction commanded here go beyond the practical, necessary training for daily living. It involves discipleship, modeling repentance, admonishment through God’s Word, developing godly character, and cultivating a heart that pursues a life of following Christ. Discipline is regarded as an act of love (Prov. 3:12, 13:24) and necessary in order to drive out the folly that is bound in a child’s heart (Prov. 22:15).

Throughout Scripture, the inspired authors used parenting (and, similarly, marriage and family) as a framework to express God’s salvific plan and purposes on earth (Gen. 2:24, Eph. 5:25-32, Rom. 8:14-17). Therefore, parenting is more than an obligation to rear; it is a divine calling and responsibility to God.

God, as the Original Global Positioning System

How did people conduct their lives before this technology became available? Let’s examine this through Scripture.

Old Testament

Genesis 12:1 “The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”

Abraham left the only place he knew and journeyed to an unknown land as God directed him. He relied on faith and divine guidance to reach that destination.

Exodus 13:21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.

During the Israelites’ 40-year journey through the wilderness, they never lost their way or wandered. God led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Ruth 1:19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem.

Ruth and Naomi traveled approximately 50 miles through mountainous terrain without any maps or GPS. Committed and devoted to God, they traveled using the ingenuity they possessed.

New Testament

Matthew 2:1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

The Magi were part of the priestly caste in ancient Persia. They were often leading figures in religious court life in their country, employing astrology, wisdom, and magical incantations in their work (NIV Application Commentary). The three magi were led by a star, a divine creation of God, to find the newborn Jesus.

Luke 2:43-46 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

Mary and Joseph lost track of Jesus on their return home from Jerusalem. Undoubtedly, they were panicked after traveling back and searching for three days before finding him. Scripture doesn’t describe their frantic prayers for wisdom and guidance to locate him, but Jesus’ reply to His mother in verse 49 highlights the importance of trusting in God’s sovereignty to protect and reunite them: “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”

Acts 16:6-7 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to go.

Paul traveled extensively throughout the Roman Empire as the Holy Spirit led him. Wherever he went, God’s providence led him to people and places that helped him and advanced the Kingdom. Notwithstanding, some places he visited were hostile to the gospel, and he was persecuted; however, because he relied solely on the Spirit, he trusted that whatever happened was God’s will.

How GPS Displaces God

Technology always displaces something. In the case of GPS, we can look to the biblical narratives to see how God is displaced. Theologically, we can observe three distinct ways.

(1) The Providence of God

This is God’s continual care, guidance, and sovereign rule over all creation, ensuring that His purposes are fulfilled. Unlike the deists’ view of God, He is not distant and inactive in the world’s activity. Colossians 1:17 tells us that Christ was before all things, and in Him, all things hold together. Hebrews 1:3 says that He sustains all things by His powerful word. This requires us to believe that nothing occurs outside of His wise and powerful control, or, in other words, that nothing happens by chance.

God’s providence ensured Abraham arrived in the land he was promised, and that Ruth and Naomi returned safely to Bethlehem. Providentially, God orchestrated the scenario where Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without His parents knowing.

Tracking a child’s location with GPS tools displaces God’s providence and places the responsibility on the parent to continually care for, protect, guide, and rule over the child’s life. Parents either trust in God’s providence, trust in their child’s ability to navigate the world alone, or trust in their ability to control their whereabouts and safety through an app.

(2) Guidance Through God’s Created Order

Throughout Scripture, God uses the natural world of His creation to navigate, instruct, and assure us of His presence. Psalm 19 records that the heavens declare God’s glory and the sky, the work of His hands. The stars have long been a source of navigation, providing a fixed framework for measuring time and space.

The Magi were led to the newborn Jesus by a star; Noah learned the floodwaters had ceased through a dove holding a freshly plucked olive leaf (Gen 8:6-12); and the ravens sustained Elijah by bringing him food (1 Kings 17:2-6).

God’s sovereignty in nature and human affairs is demonstrated through the created order. Just as we trust the sun to rise, the constellations to shine, and the seasons to turn, we can trust God’s guidance over our children as they navigate the world. Parents and children lose this trust and discernment in God’s guidance when they rely on man-made technology instead.

(3) Fear Replaces Faith

Fear results from a lack of trust in God’s presence, providence, and faithfulness. First Timothy 1:7 teaches us that God has given us a spirit of power, love, and self-control, not of fear. Jesus commands us not to be anxious and worried but to seek His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:26-30). Paul reminds believers to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). The repeated command against fear highlights the human heart’s tendency to succumb to it.

Paul entrusted himself to God’s care and relied on divine guidance to spread the gospel message. He could have easily been crippled by fear, as his safety was never secure, but he trusted God’s leading and protection. As a result, the gospel was spread across the ancient world.

Parental tracking of children’s location, in many ways, assumes God’s role as omnipresent protector. It often stems from a deep-seated fear of not being in control rather than biblical faith and trust in God’s promises. If parents desire their children to grow in the faith, they must model deep trust in God rather than fearfully monitoring their whereabouts.

The Cited Benefits of Location Tracking

Most parents believe location tracking makes them more involved, caring, and responsible. 

Safety is the primary motivation parents cite for tracking their location. Often, the desire to track their location is what leads parents to purchase their child’s first smartphone or smartwatch. The protective aspect of tracking a younger child allows parents to intervene or rescue them if they get into a situation (i.e., get on the wrong school bus) they can’t solve on their own.

However, the motivation for safety is less founded when tracking an older child. Parents believe that knowing their adolescent’s (or even young adult’s) exact location enhances their safety in the event of an emergency such as a school shooting, car accident, or kidnapping. In reality, the only thing that enhances safety is the child’s ability to make wise decisions in such an emergency.

Another common motivation is location accountability. Parents can test the veracity of their children’s claims by ensuring they are where they said they would be. The hope behind tracking for this purpose is that the child would be less likely to engage in risky, unauthorized behavior because they know they are being tracked. Call it accountability, but it is really surveillance motivated by irrational fear or a lack of trust.

A third reason why parents track location is the benefit of coordination between family members. Rather than calling or texting about each family member’s comings and goings, a shared location lets everyone know where the others are. The convenience is undeniable, but relationships are reduced to communication-free notifications.

Biblically Countering the Propaganda of Location Tracking

The cultural narrative is that location tracking makes for responsible and caring parents. The biblical narrative is that location tracking displaces faith and trust in God.

One of the most popular family location-tracking apps is Life360. Let’s examine its marketing claims as truth in light of Scripture.

“Peace of Mind Starts Here.”

Life360 is selling an illusion of peace. This claim implies that true confidence, security, and rest come only from constantly tracking loved ones’ locations. A Christian parent’s peace does not derive from an app but from trust in God’s sovereignty, providence, and presence.

Scripture teaches that true peace only comes from God, not from technological methods of control.

Isaiah 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

“Lighten your mental load with Life360’s advanced location sharing.”

Life360 appeals to parents’ desire for ease, control, and security. This claim implies that technology provides more “mental” rest and peace than God can.

Scripture teaches that only Jesus can lighten our burdens.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Psalm 55:22 “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

“Exhale a huge sigh of relief.”

Life360 claims that parents will “breathe easier” when they have constant visibility into their child’s location. This claim implies that peace comes with extensively knowing where a child is at every moment.

Scripture teaches that the peace that can physiologically calm the mind and breathing comes from knowing God’s presence.

Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
Exodus 33:14 “And he said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'”
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Matthew 28:20 “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

“Frame location sharing as a “tool for independence” rather than surveillance.”

Life360’s blog offers tips to help parents help their children feel more at ease with being tracked. They claim true independence comes from the assurance that someone is watching and that help is available if needed.

Scripture teaches that independence, and thereby freedom, is built on wisdom, trust, and responsibility – not constant control.

Proverbs 4:7 “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.”
Proverbs 10:9 “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.”
Matthew 25:21 “You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.”
Ecclesiastes 12:14 “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

The Lived Experience of Location Tracking They Don’t Tell You About

Parents and children experience this technological convenience in various ways. Its normativity often silences the negative effects.

PARENTS

Anyone who has tracked a child’s location will tell you there is only a sense of peace, a lightened mental load, and a sigh of relief IF the child is where they should be. If they are not, parents experience anxiety, stress, and anger. Ironically, rather than lightening their load, the app becomes a heavy burden, an ever-present anxiety inducer.

It only takes a child getting on the wrong school bus one time to ignite a fear of every unknown way a child could experience danger or harm. Similarly, it only takes one change in plans, not communicated to parents, to convince them that an adolescent must be constantly surveilled to stay alive.

It is all too easy to fall into a location-tracking obsession in the name of care, protection, and safety. Some parents convince themselves that not tracking would be unloving or that their children would think they do not care. But what drives the behavior is the irrational fear of the child dying.

Yes, dying. A recent Life360 commercial capitalizes on parents’ fear of their child’s death when they aren’t by their side. Comments on YouTube praise the commercial for knowing exactly what’s circling in their minds, citing phrases like “I feel seen” and “That’s me!”

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The commercial is sadistic and sad. As Lenore Skenazy writes in The Coddling of the American Mind on Substack, “The daughter comes up with a solution. Basically: I’ll sacrifice my growing autonomy because you can’t deal with your neurosis.”

Again, the propaganda of Life360 normalizes parents catastrophizing and then perpetuates all of those fears through obsessive tracking, as if the tracking itself guarantees they’ll always be safe.

CHILDREN

This fear- and control-based parenting is tangible to the children being tracked. They can sense it when their battery is dying, and their parent is flipping out more than they are. They hear it in the panicked call, demanding to know where they are when the GPS glitches. They feel it in the inquisition of a day’s events, as they test their trustworthiness.

Tragically, the lived experience of location-tracked children is silenced by the propaganda of convenience and peace of mind sold to parents (as seen in the above commercial).

Unfortunately, most children do not even realize what they are missing out on when they are constantly being surveilled. Over time, they lose problem-solving skills, responsibility, effective communication, natural consequences, autonomy, self-efficacy, and overall resilience. Spiritually, they miss out on opportunities to trust God, experience His faithfulness, encounter His presence in the created order, and develop an abiding faith in the Savior and His sovereignty.

They miss all of these learning opportunities because Mom’s sovereign surveillance reigns.

What is lost becomes evident as children grow into adults. Many view the world as a dangerous place with dangerous people that require them to prioritize their physical and emotional safety (as their parents did). They lack trust in their own decision-making and struggle to persevere in difficult situations. Moreover, they often incorporate location tracking into their own friendships and relationships under the guise of mutual care and safety. However, surveillance is a poor foundation on which to build a trusting relationship, and thus, their relationships suffer.

Does Location Tracking Fit into Biblical Parenting?

GPS location tracking is not necessarily sinful, but should it have a place in the lives of parents who seek to faithfully and biblically raise their children?

Location tracking is common and often seen as a necessary tool for parents in the modern world. When examined through the lens of Scripture, however, location-tracking technology can easily displace God’s role in parenting and undermine the principles of faith, discipleship, and training commanded of parents.

The biblical model of parenting is training, not tracking.

Scripture emphasizes the parents’ duty to disciple and train children in righteousness, wisdom, and faith. Indeed, folly is bound up in a child’s heart, but surveillance does not produce godly character.

Only discipline and training develop perseverance and strength of character (Proverbs 3:12, Hebrews 12:7-12).

Parents are stewards, not owners.

Biblically, children are God’s creation and are entrusted to parents as a reward to be stewarded (Psalm 127:3, Psalm 139:16). Advancements in technology across every spectrum of the Western world have created a culture where children are planned, picked, and prepared for, leaving parents to feel like owners rather than stewards.

As owners, they use location tracking to protect their investment. Fully responsible for cultivating and controlling their child’s outcomes, they see technology as a trusted ally.

Parents who see themselves as stewards recognize God’s providence and sovereignty over every aspect of their child’s life. Knowing they will stand before God and give an account for their stewardship, they surrender control and fear and parent by training, faith, and trust.

GPS technology cannot replace biblical peace.

Scripture is saturated with admonitions not to fear, be anxious, or worry. True peace comes only from God (Isaiah 26:3, John 14:27, Psalm 4:8), and believers are called to seek God’s peace and pursue it (Psalm 34:14, 1 Peter 3:11).

Indeed, you will have trouble in this world as you raise children. Sometimes, you will suffer for doing good. But in the many kinds of trials, God’s peace is not elusive. Faith in Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins makes peace possible (Romans 5:1), and God grants it as we grow in our knowledge and trust in Him (2 Peter 1:2).

Peace in our modern world feels fleeting and fabricated because we seek it in technologies that have no power to grant it. Apps like Life360, which promise peace, are no different than lifeless idols offering salvation.

Conclusion: Biblical Parenting Requires Faith, Wisdom, and Trust in God

While it may be tempting to embrace the normative practice of tracking children’s location in the name of “responsible parenting” or in the hope of “peace of mind,” Christian parents must ask themselves:

• Am I raising my children to walk in wisdom, or am I controlling their boundaries and circumstances?
• Is God glorified in how I use location-tracking technology?
• How do I model obedient faith and trust in God for my children to witness?
• Am I preparing my children with character, perseverance, and faith for godly independence, or am I cultivating a fear of independence and reliance on others’ protection?

Nevertheless, faith, wisdom, and trust may lead parents to track a child’s location for their immediate safety and well-being. Whether for a specific event or for a season of rebellion where the child has endangered themselves or others and must earn back trust, there may be times when it is appropriate. Again, location tracking is not inherently sinful and can be used judiciously and wisely.

Every child’s and every family’s situation is unique, allowing for various justifications for the necessity of location tracking. Prayerfully decide whether to track location. Consider if it is driven by wisdom or fear.

The child doesn’t necessarily have to agree (because parents hold the authority), but they deserve to hear how you plan to honor God’s divine providence and use the app to the glory of God.