“Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.” 1 Timothy 5:13
We may want to…
…learn to be a graphic designer.
…learn to be an accountant.
…learn to be a dog trainer.
…learn to be a barista.
…learn to be a photographer.
There are a lot of things we may want to learn. But none of us want to “learn to be an idler.”
We wouldn’t sign up for a class to “Learn How to Be an Idler in Thirty Days or Less.”
We wouldn’t study books on “How to Become the Best Idler You can Be.”
Yet we may be unwittingly training ourselves in idleness by our online habits.
The young widows learned to be idlers by “going about from house to house.”
Are we learning to be idlers by ”going about from Facebook page to Facebook page”?
It’s a question we may not want to ask, but one we must all take to heart.
“Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.” 1 Timothy 5:13
”I’m glad I’m not like that” is often my first response when I come across one of these unflattering portraits in Scripture.
Surely I don’t bear any resemblance to these lazy, gossipy young widows? I work each day to serve my family. I get up early. I clean, cook, drive, counsel, encourage, wash, iron and pray. I don’t spend my mornings on the couch clicking the remote or my afternoons gossiping with the neighbors.
But have I “learned to be an idler” through my online habits? Going from Facebook page to Facebook page?
This verse highlights a particular danger of the Internet: it can lure us into idleness. We may not be “going about from house to house” physically, but doing it virtually instead.
So I must ask myself: Have I become an Internet idler?
It may be that I bear more resemblance to these idle young women than I thought at first.
Girltalk has always been an extension of our mother-daughter conversations, and we benefit even more when you join in. A great example is this email from Kim who was challenged by last week’s look at temptations to fear on the Internet. May we all be encouraged by her resolve to spend less time online and more time in God’s Word!
I am so thankful for your current series on our online habits. Your words have challenged me to take a closer look at exactly what I’m spending my time on when I’m online. I tend to seek information re: health problems or issues to my detriment - there’s nothing wrong with seeking information on a symptom here and there but it easily can become something that consumes my mind when I’m checking Google daily for new information on the same strange symptoms and then worrying about exactly what I’m not sure I even have! Nothing online can answer my health questions directly and I’m sad to say I often turn first to the Internet for counsel than the Word of God. I asked myself today how would my soul have benefited if I had spent the 30 minutes in God’s word or prayer rather than online checking again about my strange health symptoms. I was saddened by my choice and am thankful though for the Lord’s grace and that He lovingly corrects and disciples us. And I’m glad He has done that through your message series as well. Thank you for your faithfulness to Him and His Word! Your message has encouraged me to go on a Facebook and Internet fast (aside from paying bills online which would not benefit from my fast) and instead turn to the Word of God first. Thank you again!
In today’s health-conscious culture we carefully monitor our diets. We count calories and cut carbs and buy organic, because as everyone knows, you are what you eat.
But how much attention do we give our online diet? Do we monitor our intake of information or consider its effect on our souls?
Some of us might have a regular online diet of breaking news, medical information, and stories of loss, tragedy, and heartbreak via social media. We gobble up a huge helping of unhealthy content each morning and snack on it throughout the day. And then we wonder why we are so fearful all the time.
Here’s what can happen to me: I check an online news source only to see a headline about a kidnapping, and I fear for the safety of my grandchildren. Another plane crash or terrorist plot and I worry about C.J.‘s flight home. The local police report indicates a rise in burglaries and I can’t sleep at night.
Whenever we read about something bad happening somewhere else, we may be tempted to imagine it happening to us. And information about bad things happening is everywhere on the Internet!
That’s why we would do well to remember Elisabeth Elliot’s statement of truth (and I can’t help but wonder what her thoughts might be about our online habits!): “There is no grace for our imagination.” Instead, God’s grace is found in the warning to flee these temptations: “Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil” (Ps. 37:8).
So if you find yourself tempted to fret, start by evaluating your online diet. Is it regularly feeding your fearful imagination? If so, then maybe you should choose not to click.
