I have often wondered, am I handling technology the right way? Could I learn to use it more often and in better ways? Do I need to use it less? Is there anything I need to stay away from completely?

I was very excited to find this booklet, Biblically Handling Technology and Social Media on the Tomorrow’s Forefathers site. Here is the link: https://tomorrowsforefathers.mypinnaclecart.com//biblical-teaching/biblically-handling-technology-and-social-media/

This book is made possible through the Biblical Discipleship Ministries. Contributions are made by many authors. Copyright is 2014. Although the book has some age on it, there is still a great amount of value to be applied through it because scripture is used to show how we should handle technology. Since, scripture is living and active (see Hebrews 4:12) it will always be relative for today.

The first scripture the booklet advocates as a KEY VERSE is 1 Corinthians 10:31… “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (ESV)

Another verse they apply to the use of technology is Ephesians 5:16. This small section, written by Josiah Dieckmann at age 17, is titled: Redeeming the Time. He explains that redeem “means to exchange something bad or unprofitable for something desirable.” He gives a challenge to redeem your time on the computer or phone, and “do something good with it.” (p. 3)

Four basic principles are given for dealing with social media:

1. Don’t be rude—show respect for others. (Phil. 2:3-4) (1 Peter 3:8)
2. Don’t be excessive. (Gal. 5:22-24) (1 Cor 14:40)
3. Don’t be possessive or too dependent. (Lev. 19:4) (Lev. 26:1)
4. Don’t be secretive. (Proverbs 10:17) (pp. 4-11)

Texting is nonstop for most of us now-a-days. It puts everyone at your fingertips at any given time. Here is a list of scriptures the booklet applies to texting:

1. “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” (Prov. 16:24)
2. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in they sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” (Ps. 19:14)
3. Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:9)

They list several more scriptures, but you get the idea. I’ll end it with a verse that scares me half to death on most days and makes be afraid to open my mouth:)

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,” Matthew 12:36 ESV. Whew!

On page 14, there is a testimony from Elisabeth, age 16 about texting. She tells that her parents upgraded their plan to include unlimited texting. She was so excited to use it, after only fourteen days, she had sent and received over four hundred texts. She said, “God really convicted me and showed me that much of the time I had spent texting was unprofitable and could have been used more wisely. Although some of the texts were meaningful, more than half were just complete nonsense. Proverbs 15:14 says, The mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.” She goes on to say that other things she could have been doing that week, were put aside as she waited to be texted back. She had wasted so much time.

The biggest concern for Christians is that social networking begins to get you “to feel comfortable with certain worldly practices and ideas that do not coincide with a Biblical worldview.”(p. 22) It has become acceptable for Christians to ‘like’ shared posts that promote movies, television shows, literature, and games that have cursing, occult practices, and immorality. (p. 22)

Scriptures are listed on page 23 that address these issues:

1. Mark 7:22-23
2. Ephesians 5:3
3. 2 Timothy 2:22
4. Matthew 5:28
5. And, I will add the verse that has convicted me over the years: Ephesians 4:29 (NLT) “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

Once when I was taking classes through Faith Bible Institute, John Yates, asked this question about immoral movies…. Would we look in someone’s window and watch what they were doing in private? And, what would we be considered if we did that? A peeping Tom?

I’m going to end this post with quotes from page 25 of this booklet. I have to warn you… it is very convicting, but I believe it is truth and we need to share truth and not hide from it. So…

Which Side Are You On: Light or Darkness?

“It is very possible that if you have embraced entertainment such as Twilight, Harry Potter, and Avatar (or anything related to these movies’ genres), then you have started loving darkness above the light—you are not just in the world anymore, but you are becoming of the world. In John 3:19, God’s Word speaks directly to those who choose to embrace darkness: And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Remember our Savior is Light, and in Him there is no darkness: God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1 Jn. 1:5). In Colossians 1:13, the Bible confirms that He delivered us from the power of darkness….Yet today, occult practices, non-Biblical spirituality, and dark supernatural powers are not looked upon as darkness anymore but rather as fun, cute, and harmless….this form of entertainment glorifies and exalts the very powers that nailed Jesus to the cross…..Not many years ago, vampires, sorcerers, wizards, witches, and anything that involved supernatural powers not recognized as coming from God were deemed sinister, dark, evil, or, at the very least, dangerous and to be avoided by Christians….Christian people are now even posting the Harry Potter series directly next to the Bible as favorite literature options. Having these two books posted together is a complete disconnect! (pp. 25-26)

“Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” Romans 14:13 KJV (This verse pretty much sums up the use of technology.)

On page 27 of the booklet, it says… “Please At Least Consider…. Even if you personally do not want to give up something that could provide a stumbling block, what you can do is keep that something to yourself so that before the Lord you never have to be responsible for being part of causing a brother to stumble….It is important that we take responsibility for whatever we put on walls, blogs, and websites, as well as our YouTube and Netflix recommendations. Walking in holiness and purity will never give you the ‘freedom’ to promote actions and attitudes that go directly against God’s Word.”

There is so much more to this booklet than I can share here. Please feel free to order it for yourself and see how you feel about the subjects addressed here.They also cover Facebook, video games, Netflix, YouTube, ecetera.