Friend or Foe : Social Media

I have been sitting here for the last few weeks thinking about today’s topic because I know how sensitive it could be, but after much deliberation and prayer I have decided to share with you all how I feel about the role that Social Media plays in our society today. I want to start off with a disclaimer prior to going into my rants and what not, I have accounts on FB, Twitter, Linkedn, Google +, and just about every social media outlet out there. My issue is not with the actual media device itself, but the way that it is utilized.

 The idea of being able to link together so many different people through a single location is ground breaking and something that caught on and took off pretty quick. The idea was solid, execution was good, but the one thing that couldn’t be factored in or protected against was human nature. I found a recent study that pointed out some pretty interesting if not just downright scary statistics.

• One study found that 97% of adolescents ages 12-18 use the internet.
• A recent study found that only 16% of the students surveyed regularly spoke with their parents about what they do on-line
• Over 80% of adolescents own at least one form of new media technology
• 68% - 97% of online aggression victims also experience offline relational aggression and 24% -76% also experience offline physical victimization
Take a real close look at some of those statistics dealing with our youth, because the new phase and craze out there right now is to do what is called Cyber Bullying. If you have not experienced this phenomenon I know that you have heard about it. There have been multiple cases on the news involving students who have committed suicide because of what was said to them through FB.

Now don’t get me wrong, FB is not the only source of these problems out there. I mean take a look at the game consoles out there right now. PS3, XBOX, and all the others afford the opportunities for a bully to insert themselves into our young ones lives. There was recently a situation in where kids were lured away from the safety of their home and taken by someone they met through a video game. I mean really, come on now. Let’s start paying attention to what our children are doing.

 I am a video gamer; I especially love playing first person army shooter games. My favorite game happens to be a Call of Duty or Black Ops game. I play these games because it is a way for me to transfer some of my emotions onto something that is not real. I play online with other people who have microphones and can talk. Now I can be playing with anyone at any age at any time. I almost always have to mute everyone that I am playing against or with because of the vulgar use of language and just pure evilness that comes out of their mouths. I will be transparent with you, before I accepted Christ into my life I had gotten banned from the XBOX network because I felt it was ok to tell a young child that Santa wasn’t real and that Santa did bad things with his mother. I mean really, c’mon now.

 So parents I would ask you to monitor some of these games that our children are playing, they are not all bad but in the same way that are not all good either.

Face Book, Twitter, and other social media devices out there can also be used in the same way. Some of you parents already know what I am talking about, you wake up and turn on your computer, log into FB and bam you are being attacked. I mean someone has come on to either your page or on their own page and just launched a verbal attack against your character either provoked or not. Once the attack happens its already too late. Once the damage has been done it can’t be taken back. It’s just like this article today, once I hit submit and publish this, then anyone and everyone can see it. So I guess the question that I have is this; if you are out there finding yourself more frustrated with social media than being edified by it, is it something you really should have in your life? Another way to look at it is like this, is this relationship that I have with my social media one that brings me closer to God, because if it doesn’t bring me closer to God it is only drawing me away from Him?

As followers of Christ we have a responsibility to rebuke and correct things that are wrong. I honestly believe that if Jesus was standing there in front of a computer, and saw all the evilness that has sprouted from the internet and social media, He would un friend Social Media. With that said think about this passage from the Bible.

He (Jesus) said to them, “If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it. (Mark 8:34-35)

I believe that our Social Media could be used for good out there, please take a moment to watch this video and I think you might agree.

FOLLOW

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Flesh Flesh Flesh

So here I am reading my Bible when I get to one of favorite parts of the Bible. The book of Romans Chapter 8. I mean the whole book of Romans is just awesome and profound, but when I look at Chapter 8 from a young believer’s perspective it always smacks me straight in the face. That is why I like it so much.

 So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:12-13)

I know some of you have those friends out there that will tell you that reading the Bible is difficult, or that it leaves too much for the imagination. I tell you this though; if you look at the passage above I do not see where you can get to creative with your imagination. This passage plainly tells us that if we live by the flesh we will die. In the same sense it tells us that if we put away the things of the flesh we will live. Period.

Let’s take a look at something that a lot of people do not consider when you think about this subject. As a matter of fact this is something that I myself have recently struggled with. Smoking or tobacco. I mean there is nowhere in the Bible that specifically tells us that using tobacco is bad. I mean some might even say that God created it, therefore it must be good for us right. Well we will take a look at that as well.

I spent a great deal of time with pastor about a week ago on a trip to Houston where we had this same exact talk. We talked about everything from tobacco to marijuana and the fact that God created these things so they can’t be wrong. Well that is true, things like tobacco and marijuana were created by God to be perfect the way they were made, those specific things stopped being God’s perfect creation the moment we (humans) interfered with that perfection. I mean you have to remove these two items from their natural environment, dry them out, mix them with chemicals, and break them down in order for them to be in a state that we find enjoyable. So what does that tell us, that in its pure and perfect state all of God’s creations are good. It ceases to be something good when we (humans) change those perfect properties to please our fleshly desires. I know that is a little harsh to put it that way, but that is truth.

I am not getting on a high horse here and trying to tell people how to live their lives. What I am doing is sharing my conviction and passion for the Lord. There was a point when we were created perfect, yet because of our need to satisfy fleshly desires, we have since been born into sin. Just sharing a thought.

In the Beginning

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First Year Ministry Reflections

Well here I am coming up on my first complete year in the Student Ministry. I have learned so much this year and I am finding out that I have so much yet to learn. As most of you know I spent 14 years in the infantry learning how to adapt and overcome just about anything. Let me tell you what that time did not prepare me for, teenagers.

Youth Ministry Perception versus Reality

Luckily enough for me this last year has been pretty easy. I mean I would love to say that this is so because I am just that good at what God has called me to. The truth is that God has been with me and in control every step of the way. Look at the situation I found myself in, I was introduced to our youth in such a way to where no one really knew who was in charge. We were a group of people who love God and have a passion for the youth. We were asked to step in on a temporary basis until a better solution could present itself. Through this process we fell under the protection of our senior pastor. I mean I understand that subordinates always have someone above them that protect them and correct them. But for this instance, we literally had the opportunities to make the mistakes that some might not be afforded had we been thrown into the mix without a safety net.

Here we are almost a year later and I find myself wanting to step out from behind that same net that has kept me so safe. See there is a time of learning, a time of practical application, and a time to start experiencing truth so to speak. I love my senior pastor to death, I mean he has stepped in and taken the blow for so many things that have happened that he could have easily just deflected to me or someone else who it deserved to be directed at.

Now here I find myself asking to take on this responsibility and own it. I mean that is the key thing when it comes to accepting a responsibility. You have to be willing to own that responsibility. I know that I will never be able to completely absolve my pastor from accountability for my actions, because as a leader that is what he has to do. What I can do is step up and accept responsibility for what I have been called to do to where publicly people understand that I too can be approached if there is an issue.

What I find to be extremely funny and ironic is that my pastor keeps telling me to run away from this. I understand why he does this, believe me I do. But he also says this because he knows the truth, if you are truly called to do His will, no matter how fast you run or how far you go, you will not be able to run away from your calling.

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