Church devotions: Facebook Blues - Colossians 3:8

Today’s readings are : 1 Samuel 7:10-17 and Colossians 3:1-11

Colossians 3:8                        But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

I love Facebook and I hate Facebook – how does this occur?

I love Facebook because it keeps me updated with most of my family and friends. I love to read of their experiences, their feelings, and see photographs of events or vacations. I love it when they post great quotes or funny cartoons. I love having trivial, humorous, and even some deep conversations with people from all over the world. These things make Facebook a pleasurable experience.

I hate Facebook because I sometimes get embroiled in arguments about politics, religion, and current events, even with people that I don’t know. I hate Facebook when people post horrible pictures or sleazy photographs that don’t need to be seen. I hate Facebook when folks that I love use bad language or curse and think it is okay to do that. I hate Facebook when people use images, quotes, or links that promote ill feelings, divisiveness, or outright rudeness.

So I have this love/hate relationship with Facebook, but I have the same feelings about most communicative digital experiences these days – whether I’m using browsers and search engines, web articles or blog posts, or even e-mails and texts.

Christians should be very discerning people. I think if Paul was writing today’s chosen verse he would have emphasized to all of us to think twice about what we write or post from our laptops, computers, or mobile devices. We, of all people, should apply different standards and make sure that our contributions to Facebook conversations and posts, etc., do not include anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language.

If we do so, then we should also be aware that we are choosing to act sinfully and are, in fact, letting Christ down completely.

Questions for personal reflection

Are my Facebook posts worthy of Christ? If I was sending a digital message to Jesus, how would I word it differently?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we are all too human at times, and yet You command us to lead better lives. Forgive us when we fail to loyally witness to You in all of our communications, especially those that are seen by many people. Help us to infuse Christian standards in all that we seek to express or communicate. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send an email to John at traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest winter drawings called “Snowfall at Glades Creek.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3788/12057224316_5fae2dedbd_b.jpg

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Faithbook

2 John 1:12    I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

Recently, I joined Facebook. I really enjoy reading what other people are up to each day and sending them words of encouragement and laughter in the comments section. It’s a wonderful way of keeping in contact with friends, both near and far.

For instance, many years ago in Maybole, Scotland my best friend Dave was killed in a car accident. I was absolutely devastated and my heart was broken for his wife and three young children. A couple of years later, the family emigrated to South Africa. I wondered what would ever become of them, and with me moving to America, I thought I would never know.

Then along comes Facebook and within a matter of weeks, I’m “friends” with all of Dave’s children. I now get to see and read what they’re doing and how they’re feeling. It’s remarkable. I now feel as though the world is a much smaller place and I love the sharing that takes place on Facebook.  It’s like being part of a cosmopolitan village.

When John was writing his letters, he valued his contacts immensely. He was a busy man, but he wanted to see, greet, and meet people face to face. I think if he was alive today, John would be reaching out to folk across the world using Facebook. I think he would love the personal daily contacts.

That’s what I like about our faith, too. Christ can be so personal to each one of us when we let Him into our hearts. His deep and intimate friendship allows us to be guided by God and embraced by the Holy Spirit. Christ’s personal and abiding interest in our individual lives can be a great source of encouragement, assurance, and comfort. With Him deeply connected to our lives, our joy on earth, as John writes, can be complete.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, thank You for allowing us to freely come to You, so that we may be completely reconnected and restored to God. May our lives become faith-books that can be read by other people, so that they may also seek to reconnect their lives to You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.