Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Out of the Overflow of the Heart, the "Status" Speaks

The world of Social Media has exploded to levels we never imagined possible!  We have become social butterflies through a simple, yet complex device called a cell phone.  Sitting in a restaurant, at a sporting event, even driving in your car - everywhere you look, people are on their phones; Checking twitter, e-mails, texting, checking Face Book or updating a status.  It's everywhere!  We've come a LONG way from Bag Phones!  :)

Do you remember our first form of texting?  If you had a pager or a calculator you could write 07734:  "HELLO" upside down.  From there, the first text message was sent (only 20 years ago) in 1992.  And according to Wikipedia, the first 3G Web access from a cell phone happened only12 years ago. Now, we have everything at our fingertips!  Forget 3G, we've got 4G!

No more "chain calls"
No more waiting to get home to check our messages on our answering machines.
No more waiting to get to a computer to check e-mails.

We have group texting, mass e-mails, and Facebook access in a split second - with a "Status Update" we can tell EVERYONE in our "friend group" exactly what's on our minds:

"I've folded all the laundry, cleaned the entire house, AND worked out"
"Have you seen the movie...?"
"I need a vacation"
"I hate Mondays"
"I AM SO MAD!!!....."

Freedom of Speech; it's a beautiful thing.  But, as a believer, what will I do with this freedom?  How will I use this freedom?  I can say whatever I want on Facebook! Not only that, but I can get people to "like" my status (thumbs up) and if I'm lucky, they will "comment" and back me up in my efforts for justice when "I am MAD". 

"A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of".
Luke 6:45


"For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks"  Matthew 12:34b

What we say is a reflection of what's in our hearts?  Does that apply in the world of social media?  Isn't it just easier to write out our frustrations through a text or a status update?  Then, we can be as brutally honest as we want to be and not worry about the repercussions.   

"If your brother sins against you,
go and show him his fault just between the two of you"
Matthew 18:15

Go to our brother (or sister) if they sin against us?  This is HARD!!! 

It's the battle of the flesh and the spirit. 

Once again, I am reminded that Jesus did not take the easy road out when He walked this Earth.  He did not respond the way the world responded. 
He did not live the way the world lived. 
He was different from the world, even when He was persecuted by the world. 

"Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."  Ephesians 5:15-16

The Days ARE evil, and Satan can often gain a foothold in our lives through power of Facebook:  Comparison, Jealousy, Connections with old flames, Criticism, Judgement and more.

BUT GOD

Can use it for good!

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not saying Facebook is a bad thing.  But, I do believe we've been given this unbelievable opportunity to reach, encourage and help hundreds and even thousands of lost and hurting people through the platform of social media. 

"Go into all the world and preach the good
news to all creation."  Mark 16:15

Are we making the most of this opportunity
OR
Is it just one more way of building another idol in our lives - 
an idol in the shape of ourselves?


 

2 comments:

  1. Leah, so true and so thought provoking. Thanks for sharing. Have a great day.
    Steph

    ReplyDelete
  2. If only more people would think through this! LOVE!

    ReplyDelete