What if God were on Facebook?

Facebook is now officially one of the greatest addictions - if not the greatest addiction a lot of Christians have.

 

I think sometimes that we consider it a "safe" addiction.

 

When in doubt, get online and check out Facebook.

 

Live your life vicariously through others.

 

Check up on what others are doing.

 

Instead of living a moment completely - spend the time (in the midst of that moment) putting it on Facebook.

 

Disclaimer:  Being on Facebook is not a sin.  Not at all.  Like anything else - it only becomes a negative in our lives if we allow it to consume us - in place of spending time with God.

 

For instance:

 

Physical rest can become laziness.

 

Quietness can become non-communication

 

Interest the possessions of others becomes covetousness

 

Enjoyment of food becomes gluttony

 

Self care becomes selfishness

 

Self-respect can become conceit

 

Communication can become gossip

 

Judgment becomes criticism

 

Carefulness become fear.

 

The list goes on and on.

 

Most of us won't often be tempted to commit obvious sins such as armed robbery, murder or rape.

 

Satan is too clever and subtle for that.

 

Instead, his tactic is to entice us to push something good beyond the boundary of the will of God until it becomes sin.

 

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:12, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable.  All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything."

 

Green lights are there on all things - as long as they don't run the red light of putting God first.

 

Some suggestions: 

 

Limit yourself to getting on Facebook once or twice a day.

 

Limit yourself to "x" amount of minutes.

 

Every so often - take a break from Facebook altogether.

 

Use Facebook to encourage and lift up - never to criticize or tear down or passively aggressively revealing your emotions toward something or someone.

 

Practice your spiritual disciplines before you get on Facebook.

 

I read a great thought today from John Ortberg:

 

"What if God was on Facebook?"

 

What would his page look like?

 

What would His profile look like?

 

Name:  The Deity.

 

Relationship status:  Triune and serenely blissful.

 

Number of friends:  I only know.

 

Unfriended:  List currently blocked

 

Photos:  None available (see second commandment)

 

Timeline:  From the beginning - created the world, didn't I?

 

What's on your mind?:  What isn't?

 

Recent posts:  My book is still the all-time bestseller and the bestseller every year.  Now have a billion worshippers.  What ever happened to Zeus?  Taking the day off.  Thank me it's Friday!

 

Great stuff.

 

What is God spent all day on Facebook?  "Uh, hold on there with that need, Bill or Betty, I am on my Facebook page."

 

You see, God doesn't need a Facebook page because He has already revealed himself in Scripture and in the life of Jesus!

 

To see God, look at Jesus!

 

And thank God we are called to seek His face and not His Facebook.

 

Just a thought for a Tuesday.