Topic 5 of 5 – Social

Being social is part of being on the internet these days, right? Almost everyone (more each day) is on Facebook and/or Twitter. There are new social networks popping up. Some are even going to the point of creating social networks to separate themselves into niche groups. With what reminds me of an amish mentality, Christians are building up walls in trying to protect themselves. Maybe taking Romans 12:2 a bit too far? I’m sure Matthew 28:19 will be a challenging verse for those that are trying to be so different / so unique. We always have to ask ourselves if the groups we are joining focus on connecting with those who don’t believe in God like we do.

Being social is something that Jesus portrayed just as well as anything else. His success as He interacted with people made the religious intellectuals (Pharisees) jealous. Like we read in John 3:26 and John 11:48. It’s our goal to become Christ-like, but sometimes I believe we’re becoming more like these guys. Being social is about people, not pixels! So many of us bend our own identity to be accepted. We throw away humility and who we really are as we long for admiration. I think the key we (myself included) have to always return to, is that life is about people, not pixels!

God has really confirmed this with me and my family this year. We’ve seen for ourselves that the online world can be used to connect the offline. While traveling the country on the 52 Zoos in 52 Weeks project, and starting up the local Digital Disciples ministry here in Ohio, we’ve connected with new individuals. Both started online, but created those opportunities offline. With those that follow Christ, and those that don’t.

There’s an area of discomfort that you have to go through when you really see people as important. But I believe that is exactly what Jesus did. He wasn’t so concerned with Himself that He forgot about the woman at the well (John 4:9) or the prostitute (Luke 7:39). Do you stay away from connecting with new people, or maybe isolate yourself when you’re not sure what kind of person you might have to interact with? Truly being social has no walls.

PRAYING for a continued desire to connect with people not like me. PRAISING God for working miracles when we tear down walls of pride.

Topic 4 of 5 – Contentment

I would suggest that being content is the biggest challenge for anyone who frequently uses technology. If we looked beyond technology we would quickly see that it also plagues the American culture in many different areas. From toddlers all the way through the adult years. Stretching from our possessions to entertainment. We’re not really familiar with making do with what we have. At all times there’s at least one things we DON’T have. The idea of just needing necessities is foreign to us. Paul gives us a dose of advice in  1 Timothy 6:6-8, reminding us that all we really need is food and a place of shelter. No matter what circumstances we are in, like Paul in Philippians 4:11-13, we usually have more than we need.

How does this apply to technology? I think the first step is thankfulness. Colossians 3:17 is a reminder that this mindset should come first. In a country of instant gratification it sure becomes more difficult to be thankful for the little things, doesn’t it? After we start being more thankful I think we’ll see that we can get even more use out of the things we have. This type of thinking should come into play when the new iPhone comes out, when our computer isn’t as speedy as the new one at the Apple store, when our television is 30 inches smaller than our friend’s, and so on.

I fully understand that sometimes these decisions change when it’s our job to be using the tools, but for most that is not the case. I’m sure there is at least one area where we each might even be struggling with this today? I know the new iPhone or iPad sure sound interesting to me, so I’m in this with you. Mind sharing a moment you’ve recently struggled with this, or maybe a piece of scripture that helps you out in this area?

PRAYING that our focus on Christ becomes more clear, and our focus on the things of this world fade. PRAISING God for blessing us with the right tools at the right time.

Topic 3 of 5 – Pornography

You probably knew this one was going to show up in the list? How could it not when the following statistics ring loudly through the church across America!

• 50% of all Christian men and 20% of all Christian women are addicted to pornography.
• Out of 81 pastors surveyed (74 males 7 female), 98% had been exposed to porn; 43% intentionally accessed a sexually explicit website.

I could go on with stats like this. The fact is that this sin is raging, and it’s not stopping once it gets to the church doors. Pastors can preach all they want, and that doesn’t seem to have changed many hearts or minds. Scripture like Exodus 20:14, Matthew 5:28, Ephesians 5:5, Colossians 3:5-6 can be repeated, even memorized, and this lifestyle continues on. This isn’t a simple problem, and providing a solution isn’t easy. I admire XXXchurch.com for providing assistance (when most real churches don’t), web surfing monitoring software, and an extensive website.

For some reason, just knowing that God is against the sin isn’t enough. Isn’t that the case with most sins? We have to know that we can do something about it. We can actually be of help to others, either in prayer, discussions, or simply directing them to the people that can help. But I don’t say that without realizing that, if the stats are correct, 50% of the men and 20% of the women (who pledge to follow Christ) that read this blog or view this post on social networks are struggling with the sin today.

If that is you, feel free to visit the contact page on this blog, send me a private message on Facebook or Twitter, and let me pray for you or connect you with some individuals who can help.

PRAYING for those that struggle with this area of sin in their lives, and that they would stop keeping it a private issue. Also for the church itself to realize they need to wake up and confront this battle that is taking place in the lives of those that attend there. PRAISING God for giving us the Bible and making it clear what kind of life He wants us to be living.

TOPIC 2 of 5 – Popularity

Let’s face it. It’s much more comforting to know that someone is listening when we choose to speak out. This might not seem like a big issue to you, but it is to many people. 2 Timothy 4:3 is often applied to preaching from the pulpit or street evangelism. But what about blogging, tweeting, email, etc.? The truth is, every aspect of our life is a sermon. There are eyes reading or ears listening to us wherever we go. As I’ve said before, I believe in the priesthood of all believers. We all were changed at the cross, and have a message to share. But we feel pressure. We want to be liked. So what do we do?

We compromise. When we build these communities (online kingdoms) we have our prosperity in mind. Many who have accepted the truth of the cross that sets us free end up ditching it in order to get more traffic. Some podcasters never mention they are Christ-followers to grow their subscriber base. John 17:14-19 touches on the desire that Christ has for our lives. His first desire isn’t for us to be known as an expert, although that sure seems like a trending topic among church techies these days. Many like to be known as the blogging, leadership, marketing, writing, design, or video expert. They spend hours discussing how to become better on Twitter without ever talking about taking a step closer to Christ. I’ll be the first to admit, that has been me before.

One of my favorite verses, and my ringtone (thanks Toby Mac) is Luke 9:25. So where does it stop, or how do we control this? I’m sure learning more and more each day, but have found that it’s good to review the most recent things I’ve shared on the web. Listen to podcasts or blogs I’ve created and critique them. Asking myself if Christ was allowed to be a part of the message, or was he never mentioned? Would new friends, readers, subscribers or followers even be able to tell I was following Christ? Have you asked yourself questions like these? Are there ways that you can step down from the throne and make Him famous? Even if it took being content with a smaller audience? I believe Proverbs 13:20 speaks directly to the community we should desire.

PRAYING for those that I know are silencing the truth online in search for fame. PRAISING God for always giving us opportunities to grow.

What would Jesus do with technology? Might seem like an odd question, but as one of His followers, it’s definitely one I think over often. I’m starting a blog series today that will touch on the 5 technology topics that I think He would have addressed, and hopefully provide some scripture that backs up why I believe so. Honestly, through the work of the Spirit (just as much God as Jesus us), I think we need to meet these issues head on and start to see the world change for the better.

TOPIC 1 of 5 – PIRACY

I know, I know. This isn’t a black and white issue to many of you. Piracy, defined as the copying of works without the permission of the rights holders, happens on so many levels and in so many areas of technology. I would have had to admit to being a pirate maybe ten years ago. I was just leaving college, didn’t have too much money, and was heading into a graphic / web design career. I didn’t have thousands of dollars to spend on the Adobe suite of products. So what did I do? Accepted a bootleg copy of the software, used a pirated serial number, and started to get to work. Then God allowed me to read some scripture and discuss the issue with others. I woke up. Stopped lying to myself. And what do you know, ended up saving enough money to buy my own legal copy!

You might tell yourself that you are sampling the software, that you might not get caught, or possibly that the companies are too greedy or charge too much? Put yourself in the shoes of the musician whose income comes from people paying to enjoy what they create. What would it feel like if someone wanted what you provide, and they didn’t want to pay you for it? When you read Philippians 4:19 do you really not believe that God will provide? Or does Ephesians 4:28 not really suggest that you shouldn’t steal and work for it? It’s not just teenagers that are doing this, I know that much. It’s nothing short of sin, and those providing the product of services are being treated unfairly. It’s that simple.

PRAYING for you, if you’re one of the many that are struggling with this. PRAISING God for showing me how to break away from the sin, and for providing a way for every one of my needs.