Technology is morally neutral. Man is not.

The greatest influence on the minds of people has changed over time.  Families, friends, churches and church leaders, teachers and others with close personal contact for years were the trusted sources of life, knowledge and wisdom in most lives.  Yet today, we have allowed technology to usurp this role.  

Beginning with media sources and now, today, the internet is an impersonal (and many times at odds with those formerly trusted sources) source for the search for understanding life, gaining knowledge and wisdom.  I intentionally say “allow” because it is our willful and intentional engagement with the internet that influences us for good or evil.  The opportunity for evil on the internet is real and ever-present unless you diligently protect yourself. How do you protect yourself?  For some, it is to avoid use of the internet.  For others, it is the filters and safeguards that can prevent access to certain sites.  Yet others would say it is a matter of self-discipline. 

Unfortunately, in a world that is media saturated and more and more cyber driven, it is harder and harder to depend on these three protections alone.  I recently read of a remote Amazonian tribe that was given access to the internet and within less than a year, tribe members were addicted to social media and pornography.  There is less person-to-person contact (and therefore accountability and instruction) while seeking out contact with others online rather than those in the tribe.  Again, technology is morally neutral; t is man who brings the good and the evil to the technology. And it is our engagement that tears us down, separates us and lures us into sin – or builds us up, encourages us and provides help.  

As I am writing this, I have the SBC Annual Convention streaming on my computer from Indianapolis, Indiana.  Instead of traveling over 1,000 miles to be engaged, encouraged and informed about the work of our convention, I am able to remain in Port Charlotte.  The only downside is I am unable to vote during the proceedings nor fellowship with those gathered there.  Instead, I am able to be with our church family on Sunday and livestream the convention today.  So, yes, there are good and beneficial tools with the internet.  Yet as I see in that Amazonian tribe (the reason the internet was introduced to them was in case of emergencies, and this has been helpful) there is a very real lure of negative, destructive and evil results.  

So what should we do?  One of the verses from the message on Sunday needs to drive our decisions about where we spend our time and energies (not the internet) but instead, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”   “To dwell” means to take up residence and should help us see that the word of Christ comes and lives with us, influences, teaches and instructs us by being ever present in our lives.  The word of Christ isn’t to be a distant contact, but a constant companion for the journey in living our lives for Christ.  So… has the internet or the word of Christ taken up residence in our heart and life?

Pressing on…

Ron Tipton, Senior Pastor