Is facebook evil?

I have been thinking a lot about this lately, so when I saw this, I decided to link up. 

We have had a great sermon series going on at church lately called "The Shocking Statements of Jesus." 

I have loved it and been quite convicted by some things it has brought to light. 

One of the things the pastor mentioned when we got to Matt 18:8, "If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire," was Face Book. 

I love Face book. It helps me stay connected with family and friends. It gives me opportunities to pray for people who post their needs. It has connected me with folks from across the country and the world who I would not have otherwise known. It offers me a way of encouragement by having friends who I know will pray for me. 

But the sermon helped me to look at it when new eyes. 

Facebook can really bring out the worst in people. 

Did you know that one study says that 1 in 5 divorce settlements blame face book for marital problems? 

Is this because fb is evil? No, that would be us. 

Should we avoid it at all costs? Maybe, but I don't think that's what Jesus was saying. 

But I do think it can lead to destruction, just as anything can, if you aren't careful. 

So here are some steps that I take to try to safeguard against that. 

1. Being careful with whom I am associated with:  

Just as with "real life" friendships, you will be influenced by those you befriend. Lots of times, that's a great thing. But I will hide or defriend those who are causing me to stumble. For me, it's not wise to see daily updates from my high school sweetheart who is a successful business man who travels all over the world. It's also not wise for me to see statuses of those who are always putting their husbands down or complaining about their kids. Of course, there is grace for those who are struggling. That goes without saying. Discernment is huge here. 

2. Be aware of what I post

On the same subject as above, I don't want to become the thorn in someone's side. My friends do not need to know every time I have a hangnail or one of my kids is ugly to me. I feel good about asking my friends to pray for me when I am struggling, but I don't want to be the clanging cymbal. 

3. Keeping the green-eyed monster at bay

This one is so easy to fall into. 

At any given time, lots of my friends seem like they have it GOING ON. 

Their husbands are great. Their kids look perfect in those vacation pictures. No fires to put out over there!

It is easy to think about how great life is for them. 

But they have real lives too. Struggles that we don't see. Hurt, despair, sickness, sadness. 

Just. Like. Us. 

When that ugly monster tries to rear it's head, we must remember... 

1 Cor 13:4 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."

Take the opportunity right then and there to thank the Lord for the blessings in their lives. And ours!

4. Accountability

This one is more recent for me. My hubby doesn't have a face book, so for a long time he knew nothing of my friends or my posts. I would tell him something funny here or there. But in the last 6 months (really since the adoption started moving) he has been logging on to see the goings on. Not in distrust, but really because he wanted to feel more connected with other adoptive families that I have met. The great thing about this, is that it offers me an added layer of accountability. And I didn't really think about needing that. But through the sermon series, I realized that God has used my hubby to protect me from danger. He has become a sounding board of sorts for me. Some times what someone posts can feel hurtful to me and cause me to get angry, but then he gives me a different perspective and helps me to see their heart. Or at times, he has told me that something I have written sounds different than what I intended. 

5. Limiting 

This one is a biggie for me too. This girl likes to veg out on blogs or face book. Especially since we decided to adopt. I never get tired of reading about adoption or helping orphans. But there has to be a balance. I have four kiddos, a husband, a house to run, etc and I don't need to be stuck online. So again, I have asked the hubster to hold me accountable and I limit myself. My three oldest are in school, so I have made a commitment to them not to be on the computer when they get home. Or my phone, because that's even easier to hop on "real quick." I try to be as disconnected from electronics as possible in the evening when we are all hanging out.