What is the draw to media for you? Is it for information, wisdom, tips and tutorials, entertainment, connection or other reasons? And what good or bad effects has it had on your walk with God?
That is a question posed in a series Media Mondays. Today's challenge is to share "Media and Your Walk With God". How does technology effect our lives, especially as Christian women?
From the moment I first got online, I loved it! Being an avid reader, all this information at my fingertips excited me! Email opened up easier communication and also filled a need for companionship with other Christian women as I joined many email groups and read message boards. These were all 'good things', but began taking too much of my time and energy. After getting a handle on my online communication, I began my blog. This has been a huge blessing in my life as I have met many wonderful 'blogging friends', but also have the opportunity to share and encourage women in the Lord. When I joined Facebook, it was fantastic keeping in touch with old friends and family that live away. There also provides opportunity to share an encouraging word to reflect the goodness of God.
Along with the good ways to use technology, there needs to be caution. Guidelines need to be drawn in our heart on what to share and what not to share. For safety sake, but also as we bloggers love to share about our families, we need to be careful not to share too much. After all...we're published authors!! If it is written and published, it is out there, never to be taken back. Emotions, bad attitudes, a need to vent can come out in blog posts and reflect things that may not bring glory to the Lord. Facebook is a great tool for communication, but we need to be alert to the dangers of too much online talk. Wisdom and divine guidance are essential for us as we seek to reflect and represent the name of our Lord.
Technology has taken off and continues to grow and change providing easier, quicker and an abundance of ways to communicate. Cell phones and texting help keep us connected, but have you noticed how often others use them? At a recent field trip with my son, we ate lunch at a park then as the children played I assumed the adult chaperones would visit together a few minutes. Once the children got up, the adults promptly picked up their phones! They checked their messages, Facebook and talked on the phone a bit! So much for face to face communication!
How much time does all this take away from our day? Even though I may be blessing and encouraging others during my computer time, what is my family doing while I am sitting on the computer, away from them? What does this do to our time with the Lord? In the days of Kindle and online devotions, are we still willing to sit quietly with our Bibles and be still before the Lord? Where is the line to refocus and divide our technology time with good old fashioned quiet time with the Lord?
Again, I'll share, I love technology! But also am aware that in addition to the good side of it, there are dangers to be alert to. There is also the side of face to face, touch to touch communication that is more powerful and doesn't need to be neglected. Balance is everything and to get the right balance, seeking the Lord is the first step!
Visiting from WLW Media Mondays! :) My MM article will post to my blog on Monday morning. I am really looking forward to this series.
ReplyDeleteI am a people watcher. We go to restaurants, stores, theaters, my daughter's volleyball games, my son's baseball games, adults (and many, many children) everywhere are glued to their cells. It makes me sad how many parents were playing on the phone instead of cheering on their son as he is playing ball. Families don't interact face to face anymore. It breaks my heart.
In our home we have no phone zones. Dinner time, Bible study time, any of the kids' sporting events, and date times with my hubby. Those times phones can only be used in case of emergency.
I agree about the danger of venting - we must choose our words wisely because they are out there forever! Thanks for joining me on this journey - I loved reading your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteCourtney
This is so on my heart lately! Thank you for addressing it. This post was really what I needed to hear. I find myself getting absorbed in the internet in new ways all the time, and with each link there is another, and another, and another that pulls me deeper into wasting time! Even when it comes to Christian websites. They are helpful, but should I be using my time to read them? Yes and no! sigh! :)
ReplyDeleteWell said!! I think there is nothing quite like sitting down with someone and having face to face conversation that builds long lasting friendships. Balance is always a good thing! Blessings to you! :)
ReplyDeleteThat field trip is such a sad statement about our society today! I know I can't stand it when I'm trying to navigate a parking lot - on foot or in a car - and people are texting as they walk in or out of the store. Then there's the store employees who are on their phones until (and sometimes during) they wait on you. I have had to try to get an employee's attention away from their phones in order to have my things rung up. it's pretty bad and it's pretty sad. Face to face is best! Found you through Media Mondays - thanks!
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