Thanks for joining me on a journey to evaluate our social media usage. Does the Bible really have anything to say about this internet age and how it relates to me? Read on to find out!
Sins of Time
Sins of Time
This verse once rocked my world. The Bible actually has something to say about how the internet allows us to daily peek into others' houses easily.
"And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not." 1 Timothy 5:13
For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.2 Thessalonians 3:11
Too often, the fruit of such an unhampered liberty is busybodying,
Too often, the fruit of such an unhampered liberty is busybodying,
a thing that God doesn't take lightly.
Let's take a peek at the definition of busybodying.
"To bustle about uselessly, to busy one's self about trifling, needless, useless matters."
Oh wow. This is social media to a T. It's a whole lotta bustle and a whole lotta USELESS. It's busy, busy, busy about trifles. It's a hurry-scurry about needless and useless matters.
"used apparently of a person officiously inquisitive about other's affairs"
Officiously means volunteering one’s services where they are neither asked for, nor needed, meddlesome. This is Facebook, y'all. Seriously. We love to volunteer our advice, opinions and tips. It's really just meddling (often well-meaning meddling, but meddling just the same.) We want to know what's going on in other people's lives and then lend our services. It boils down to the fact that we are letting ourselves become busybodies in the name of "helping folks." Ouch.
"busy about trifles and neglectful of important matters"1. especially busy about other folks' affairs, a busybody
2. of things: impertinent and superfluous
The "neglectful of important matters" phrase can get every Pinterest-loving mama out there. We've got time to pin or time to browse Instagram and drool, but somehow supper is late and the wash hasn't been folded. Oh and that one thing that the Rugged Mountain Man asked that I get to today, yep, it isn't done. We were too busy about trifles. We're looking into everyone else's interests, but not turning our hearts toward home. Impertinent and superfluous issues are sucking our energy and time.
The service of our husband, care of the home and discipleship of our children falls by the wayside - a victim to social media suckers!
Let's make it our ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to our own business and work with our hands, just as God commanded us. (In case you're wondering why that sounds familiar, that's my paraphrase of 1 Thessalonians 4:11.)
Take a look at the rest of the series here:
- What does it make you think about?
- Are there too many words?
- Are you reading gossip or gossiping?
- Is it slander?
- Is it unwholesome?
- Is it unfit for use God’s use?
- Is it foul, filthy or coarse?
- Does it grieve the Holy Spirit?
- Is it silly talk?
- Is it a word fitly spoken?
- Are you busy-bodying?
- Do you blab your good works?
- Are you wasting time or being idle?
- Is it first world drama?
- Is it bad company?
- Is it the appropriate medium of communication?
- Is it promoting “WITH” for the best interests of my family?
