I have loved following this series!! You truly show such depth, transparency, and understanding of God’s Word and principles. I’m so grateful that you have tackled head-on a struggle that likely many Christian women (and yes, even men) encounter and which even the brave hesitate to tread. Ah, technology. Ah, distraction. Ah, addiction. Ah, turning our faces from Facebook towards THE face of Christ. I never in a million years thought I would “do” FB! Never. Actually, it wasn’t so much that I thought it would be distracting (even vapid), but rather, that I am a technological tyrannosaurus, and I thought I would never get the hang of it. So I decided not to do it. You can see here that I was not manifesting a particularly noble character. But I finally decided to put my face on Facebook, because I wanted to enter a writing contest, and joining FB was the price of admission. So I took the plunge. I won the contest, and amazingly FB had won a new fan. I was surprised by my innate techie savvy, and soon I had acquired over one thousand friends (not that I know many mind you), but I’m thinking about writing professionally again, so I thought it best to have them. Besides wanting to enter the contest, I was following the advice of younger authors who said I was missing out on communicating with them. That’s really why I did it in the end—to establish an author presence online. BUT, and it’s a big one, I can see how one can easily fritter away one’s life on likes and emoticons and all manner of vapid reading, including inconsequential facts (or fiction!) that one would never read (or want to read!) otherwise. And perish the thought: I have even gotten into some heated conversations (with perfect strangers!) in the name of having a good discussion or sharing truth! So, like you, I had considered closing my FB account. But as I’ve pondered it, I realize there have been some upsides, like reconnecting w/ my aging aunt in the East or Mike’s niece in the South….people I love, but whom I never see, and who don’t seem to communicate any other way. And I’ve met new friends and b/c of FB am now blogging regularly with and for a group of what I call legacy women (they say midlife—ahem!), and this is blessing my heart immensely (and hopefully, I am blessing them as well). And I have had the pleasure of peeking behind the scenes of the lives of those I love, like you and your girls, and have seen glimpses of glory to which I might not otherwise be privy. So, FB is not all bad. I was surprised to see you on FB again, but your final confessional post explains it. I think you have struck a most healthy balance. God gives us many good gifts to enjoy, but they must never become our obsession, and He must always remain our passion. Your wine analogy is a good one. The Bible doesn’t condemn drinking it. It would be legalistic to say so. He does condemn drunkenness. And also, what is sin to us, is sin. (Can’t think of the verse offhand that expresses that). But for me, personally, as an alcoholic, God has shown me not to drink. So if I do engage in what is sin for me, then it is sin. So here is one area verboten to me even though it is not for other Christians. If others want their wine, I’ll not whine (or condemn). Were God prohibiting FB specifically in someone’s life, b/c it opened her up to some form of sin (whether idolatry she couldn’t handle, secret liaisons that would harm her marriage—whatever), then it would be best for her to crash the FB account. But it’s obvious, that God has shown you that FB is okay, within limits. And there is true, God-honoring freedom in that. I would just add one thought I have been pondering in your comparison of FB with porn. I surely understand your insights; for me, though, I couldn’t milk the metaphor for all it was worth, because porn is always evil and denigrates women, every time. FB, in and of itself, doesn’t do that. Porn is always evil, and FB only has the potential to be. Just something to consider. I hope I am making sense. I have absolutely loved reading your FB triumvirate, Mary Suzanne (as I love reading ANYTHING you pen!), and I find it a powerful testimony to God’s strong work in your sold-out-for-Jesus heart. Thank you so much for sharing!
Love you!!!
Lynni