That’s right, my title is biting off TLC a little. That’s aight. At least this thing ain't called "Red Light Special".
“I have tweeted 4 times and updated my Facebook status twice today”. Ten years ago only a modern day John the Baptist or Nostradamus would have any idea what the heck that statement means. Social networking is simply a game changer when it comes to the way people communicate and relate to one another. “Oh my gosh, I follow you on Twitter” is definitely an awkward way to introduce yourself to someone you’ve never met face to face. Today, you can instantly connect with anyone in the world. I just Skyped on my laptop with my friend in Australia who was on his iPhone in his front yard. Texting allows us to skip the formalities of hi, how are you, and get right to the point. By the way, Texting surpassed phone calls in 2007 and it will never go back again.
Since it is inevitable that technology will keep connecting people on almost unimaginable levels in the coming years, it brings up important issues for Christians regarding proper protocol when using social networking or technology.
One in five divorces occur as a result of Facebook. That’s a lot. Although I have read statistics that indicate the total percentage of affairs have not drastically increased in the last 20 years it is still significant that the way they are occurring is so prevalent.
31% of internet affairs turn into physical affairs.
I have counseled many people that have fallen as a result of Internet affairs. It is heartbreaking.
In a recent totallifecouseling.com article 3 main reasons for affairs using technology or social networking are listed.
- Easy Access
- Lack of Boundaries
- Refusal to take Responsibility
This article is not a Christian article. If the secular community recognizes the danger of social networking I believe the Christian community should be even more aware. The generation that is emerging is doing so never having known any other world without instant connectivity.
Between 1991 and 2006, the numbers of unfaithful wives under 30 increased by 20% and husbands by a whopping 45%. This was before the social networking explosion that would occur later that year. These numbers come from a study conducted by David Atkins of the University of Washington Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors.
Now what can we do?
Romans 14 rules. In a nutshell it is saying what is good for you might not be good for everyone. Be careful that what you do is not just good, but be careful that it appears good. Check it out…
Romans 14:16-17
16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.
1 Corinthians 10 keeps going deeper.
1 Corinthians 10: 23-24
23 “ I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.
24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.
I love this so much because I believe we spend too much of our time trying to fit everything in life into two categories that we think are the only two important things in life:
1. Sin
2. Not Sin
First of all there is an unseen concept that complicates these two…sins of omission. What we fail to do at times makes us equally as guilty as what we do. It is certainly important to know whether we are in sin or not but I believe we leave out two important categories:
3. Is this good for me?
Just because something is not a sin doesn’t mean it pleases God. R.A. Torrey so eloquently describes where this truth can lead us. “If we make it our study to find out and to do the things which are pleasing to God, He will make it His study to do the things which are pleasing to us.”
We wonder why God doesn’t move in our lives when we are occupied with things that are not necessarily a sin, but neither are they pleasing to Him.
4. Does this look good to others?
This flies in the face of the “be yourself, who cares what anyone thinks” attitude that is so prevalent in the world today. We actually should care about what people think when it comes to the way we represent Christ. We should also be constantly cognizant of the way our decisions could affect others.
In order to keep this blog from exceeding the length of the combined works of Homer I am going to give some principles for married couples to consider and some principles for single people to consider when connecting with others through technology. My commentary on each will be brief, as I will let you investigate and formulate the reasoning behind each.
1. Carefully consider the picture you upload, including your profile pic.
- You may have a body that looks like it was carved out of marble (probably not) but your pictures send a clear message to others.
- Some people will stumble because of your picture.
2. Private messages (or excessive public messages) to members of the opposite sex should always be minimal.
- The line between teasing and flirting can be nearly indistinguishable. It is easy for people to get the wrong idea.
- Married people should consider drawing clear cut lines as to what is acceptable for their social networking behavior.
- When I receive messages from members of the opposite sex I rarely answer them. I’m not being a prude, I just want to be safe.
3. Be careful who you “follow” or become friends with.
- There are many different uses for Facebook and Twitter. Some “friends” are certainly made for business or marketing purposes, but if people post questionable material on their pages or statuses not only could it be compromising for you, it also could reflect poorly on your witness.
4. Never, under any circumstances, speak negatively about your spouse or significant other and do not talk about how lonely you are.
- This is a cattle call for inappropriate “comforting” from the opposite sex
5. Never, ever, ever, ever, play Farmville.
- No comment
The worst kind of bondage imaginable is adding ridiculous, legalistic rules to our lives that God could care less about. This blog is meant to encourage free people to continue living free by guarding against potential hurt or damaged caused by carelessness.
These are not rules, they are ideas that can help us bring more glory to God and our relationships.
Oh, BTW TLC, the "down low" always takes you lower than you want to go.
Now excuse me, I have to update my status.
