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Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ESV Colossians 4:5

Due to an excellent observation in a comment from Jenny, this post will address another issue regarding Facebook. Your comments and thoughts are valuable. There have been a number of good suggestions for posts in the last couple of weeks and, Lord willing, we will get to them all.

Jenny raised an important consideration in her comment. She raised the concept of “me time.” As Christians our lives are to be centered on bringing honor to the name of God in all that we do. (I Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17, etc.) Our culture inundates us with the idea that our first need is to care for ourselves. Yes, God is important, but only as he or she meets our need for whatever spiritual vacuum we have that needs filling. From a cultural standpoint the idea of spirituality is just another part caring for myself first. Culturally, we are challenged every day to see life in terms of self-fulfillment—my needs, my space, my time, my life and, sadly, my god, whomever I deem her or him to be.

As Paul teaches in I Corinthians 6, we are not our own, we have been bought with a price. It is instructive to note that the context of this teaching that we are not our own is a discussion of sexual conduct. What could be more intimate and personal than your sexual life? Yet Paul says that even in this area we are not our own. We are not free to choose how to behave sexually, based upon our assessments of our needs. And, not surprisingly, the area of sexuality is one in which our culture openly despises biblical truth. Sex is for you, in any way that you wish to have it. You have the right to do with your body whatever you want. Clearly, by asserting the value of self-fulfillment regarding sexual behavior, the culture has not been friendly to Christianity.

If Paul says that you are not your own in the intimate area of sexuality, certainly this same principle applies to the rest of your life. In acknowledging the Lordship of Christ over your sexual life, you will actually enjoy and benefit from sex more than if you followed the calling of the culture for self-fulfillment. In other words pursuing what I want apart from God is never a good or healthy practice.

From another perspective, let’s say that you live on a farm far away from the urban sprawl. How helpful would self-fulfillment be as a guide for living on a farm? Saying that you would rather not go out and prepare the fields for harvest so you could catch up on the latest status updates of your Facebook friends would seem a little bit ridiculous. Or, waiting to milk the cows until tomorrow so you can play Word Twist on Facebook or check out a friend’s latest blog entry—because I just need time for myself—is equally ridiculous. Instead, as a Christian you should be filled with gratitude that there are fields to harvest and cows to milk.

Okay, so you don’t live on a farm. But you do live where God has purposed for you to live (Acts 17:26). Your time is not your own, but purchased by God with the blood of Christ. God wants you to make the best use of your time or, as the NIV translation says, to make the most of every opportunity.

To specifically address Jenny's comment, your children are young for an amazingly short time. There are opportunities to speak of God even when changing diapers. Changing a diaper means that God has given you a precious child! You can’t separate the chore of dirty diapers from the blessing of your child. This is part of who he is and what it means to have him. If there were no diapers to change there would be no child. So, even changing diapers is an opportunity to thank God for his faithfulness to you. Here is a challenge:  every time you change a diaper, tell your child how thankful you are for him and thank God for him. Grumpy diaper changing leads to a grumpy life.

With Facebook, you are presented with an opportunity to learn about others and to influence those outside the faith, at least in some small way. This can be a good thing. However, there is the temptation to sit and be caught up for hours following the endless rabbit trails of friends, groups to join, causes to become a fan of, and games to play. You may call this "your time." But as we have seen, your time is not your own. To improve your time management, perhaps you need to set a limit for the time you will spend on Facebook. And while that may be needed for some, an even better option is to turn away from our culture’s calling for self-fulfillment. God provides you each day with the opportunity to die to yourself and live for him. Facebook ought to be just something that you do as a fun diversion when you have the time to squeeze it in. Things like serving your family, studying God’s word, prayer, remembering the many ways God has blessed you, reaching out to people in your church and community, etc., should make Facebook time hard to find. It should be hard to find because your life is crowded with the joy of living life for God’s glory. It is not your time, your space, your life – it is God’s.

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. ESV  Romans 6:4

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. NIV  Romans 6:4

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.  ESV Colossians 2:8

There is a tendency to follow the world’s lead and see life as a mixture of the profound and the mundane – to contrast the exciting, meaningful, fun parts of life with the normal, dull, daily grind parts of life. For many this is the contrast between "chilling" or "hanging out" and doing something that really matters. Facebook falls into the hanging out category. It’s no big deal, just something to do when there is nothing to do. With the advent of 3G phone networks, you can update your Facebook status anytime using your mobile phone. So, while you are standing in line at the store, you can let the rest of civilization know that you are standing in line at the store. In this context, Facebook becomes a way to make the mundane a little more tolerable, a little less boring. But is this the way that God wants you to think about life—that large chunks of life are meant to be trivial? Sadly, it is uncommon to think of hanging out in terms of glorifying God.

Seeing parts of life as mundane is the kind of thinking that Colossians 2:8 describes as "empty deceit." You see, you can be taken in by the trivial as easily as by the profound. If you buy in to the belief that parts of life are trivial, of no real value, then you have been taken captive just as surely as if you were to believe that the story line of The Da Vinci Code is true. Your life, all of it, was purchased by the death of Christ so that you could live a new life—not just some of the time, but all of the time. Is it wrong to relax or take a break after a full day’s work? Not necessarily. But even then, it is good to remember that rest is given to us by God. He made our bodies to need rest and relaxation. But just as Christians should view love, money, or philosophy differently than the world does, we should also view relaxation and hanging out differently . Jesus died to give new life to his people—all of the time. The apostle Paul says it this way in Colossians 4:5:

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ESV

The NIV translates the last phrase of this verse “make the most of every opportunity.” The Facebook community puts you squarely in the path of many who are outside the faith. This surely is neither trivial nor mundane. You have opportunities to make use of your Facebook time to enhance the reputation of Christ. Simple comments will do – ones that remind your friends that God is more involved in life than we can ever imagine. Facebook time can be used to see if a friend seems to need encouragement. It can be used to observe how others are thinking so that you can pray for them or contact them. You can even point out unbiblical Facebook comments to your children, much as the father in Proverbs 7 makes the most of the opportunity when he observes a young man being seduced. Spiritual warfare is real. The most dangerous enemy tactic is the one we don’t see coming. The enemy is adept at ensnaring God’s people with weapons that appear to be harmless.

So it is easy to think hey, it’s just Facebook, what’s the big deal? The big deal is that all of life is to be lived for the glory and honor of God. If there are moments when you just kick back and don’t think about anything but what seems cool to you at the moment, you are missing the real value of life and putting yourself in harm’s way at the same time. The call of folly, like the call of wisdom, roams in the streets, in homes and in the best places in town. Those who are simple will not be able to distinguish between the two. Facebook can encourage you to b self-centered, to write and talk about yourself and to be caught up with yourself. Or you can use Facebook time to be different, to view other people differently. You don’t have to preach sermons in order to bring glory to God. Your status updates can include thoughts about the way life really is. For example – you could post something like this:

Life is not a spectator sport – it is war.

This is short. It is pithy. It is true. It may even provide some opportunities to say what is behind it. So, do your social networking realizing that since you belong to Christ, your networking involves his reputation as well as your own. Make the most of the opportunity.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. ESV

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. NIV

No rotten talk should come from your mouth, but only what is good for the building up of someone in need, in order to give grace to those who hear. HCSB    Ephesians 4:29

The apostle Paul does not make a suggestion for the specific type of communication that you employ in Ephesians 4:29. Rather, under the inspiration and authority of the Holy Spirit, he issues a direct and strong command. It is one that all of us too often ignore. Structuring our words to bring grace to our listeners is frequently the last thing on our minds. However, by failing to to do so, our words become corrupt, unwholesome, and rotten. Paul is saying don’t talk this way (with corrupt words), but this way (with words that bring benefit, grace).

By the way, remember that my use of Facebook in these posts is applies to all forms of social networking that you may use.

Facebook, then, gives you these two options:  you can leave a trail of rotten communication that points directly back to you, or you can leave a trail of words, comments and thoughts that point directly to Christ and his mercy. Which trail would you like to create? This is a question that you may not ignore. God commands you to do all things for his glory, to add to his reputation.  

So how, specifically, can your communication on Facebook be a benefit to others?

The first thing to remember is that if your words are faithful to God and his word, they will be helpful to others. Social networking presents an opportunity to impact others each day with thoughts that bring honor to your Savior.  How cool is that? Please don’t think of this as a formal ministry. Rather, think of these opportunities in the spirit of Deuteronomy 6:4-7. Wherever you go in cyberspace you have the opportunity to talk about how good God is. When things are difficult He is faithful. When you experience joy and delight it is because of the mercy of God. God is at work in his world, but our tendency is to ignore the hand of God and act as if it is only other people that make things happen. Many of the people who are a part of your extended friend network may not know God. You have the privilege of presenting short, helpful comments about how you are blown away by your God. You can demonstrate knowing his comfort in difficulty by simply commenting that you are glad that God knows what he is doing with a troubled world. So being faithful to God is being faithful to others.

Secondly, you can recall the wisdom of the Proverbs. Sometimes less is more. A wise man uses words with restraint. Short, pointed comments will more likely be read and thought about than long ones. A brief expression of comfort in God’s providence may actually provoke a discussion from someone who wants to understand your comfort in a challenging circumstance.

Next, you can be helpful by being truthful and factual. Don’t pass on speculation and become part of a chain of gossip that leads to the destruction of others. Remember Proverbs 18:17 in this light. Don’t be afraid to challenge how someone knows about some titillating tidbit of data.

Lastly, be pleasant and encouraging. You have much to rejoice about as a child of God. Your pleasant words can be a sweet honeycomb that attracts others to the truth of God and his gospel.

Much more could be said about helpful communication on Facebook. However, if you start with these four principles you will have an excellent base to build on and be a blessing to others. To sum up, these four principles are:

        1) Be faithful to God and you will be faithful to others.
        2) Be brief.
        3) Be truthful and factual.
        4) Be pleasant and encouraging.

Implementing these principles may take some rethinking, but they will serve you well, not only in social networking but in all of your communication. With apologies to John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Facebook!

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3&4

Facebook began in a college dorm room at Harvard in February 2004. Since then, the Facebook community has grown to over 140 million active users. Facebook describes itself as a social utility that helps people communicate more efficiently with their friends, family and coworkers. Efficient communication indeed! The Facebook Factsheet reports that 2.6 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day worldwide. These are impressive numbers, both in terms of people and in time spent.

For Christians, it is important to categorize Facebook activity in biblical terminology. Because Facebook and other similar activities take place in the online world, it is easy to think that biblical guidelines don’t apply as long as one is not engaging in obvious sin. But the Facebook founders have helpfully done the categorizing for us. Facebook is about communication – something that the Bible thoroughly addresses.  James states the issue clearly:

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. James 3:9-10

Communication, in and of itself, is intended to be a good thing. But as James says, the issue for Christians is the content of the communication. With Facebook, fingers are doing the work of the tongue. Instead of words flowing from your mouth they are sent from your keyboard. The important thing is that communication is taking place. And for people who have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ and given a new life with a spectacular inheritance, even casual communication is a big deal. Why? Because your communication either enhances the reputation of God or it seeks to enhance your own. As the apostle Paul says, whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Now we have a biblical platform upon which to construct an understanding of Facebook and the other online social utilities. Let's look at some specifics. The first thing one is asked when logging on to Facebook is what are you doing right now? You are supposed to tell all of the people in your social network what you are doing. The Facebook Factsheet says that the average user has 100 friends on the site. So, by answering this question, you are telling at least 100 people what you are doing. Often times, the question is answered with a description of one's current emotional state–for example, Joe is sad or bummed. It is one thing to have a momentary private thought to yourself, it is quite another to express that thought to a hundred or more people without considering how your words will cause people to think about God.

Paul challenges you to consider others more significant than yourself. One way to do this is to buy into Paul’s direction in Ephesians 4:29 to speak only what is helpful to build others up according to their needs. This is the perfect complement to "looking to the interests of others." Taken positively, each status update on Facebook is an opportunity to communicate the faithfulness of God to potentially hundreds of people. Every opportunity to write on someone’s wall is an opportunity to share the riches of God’s daily care for you. People oftentimes say that they have do not have occasion to be a witness to the wonder of God to others. Well, Facebook provides that opportunity. So, instead of saying in a status update today was a bad day at work or school, you can say something like, it is has been a tough day, but God is there for me. In this way at least 100 hundred people (for many Facebook users, hundreds of people) will know of God’s faithfulness to you. You don’t have to quote catechism questions or list multiple verses to make the point. A simple expression of your awareness of God’s constant love for you can enhance his reputation to others.

If you use social networking as a chance to "be yourself" and vent or sound off or be down about life, you make Facebook all about you. This is what Paul is warning the Philippians not to do. For Paul, life was not about him, it was about Christ. If you really believe that the God is in control of the world and your life, but you fail to acknowledge that reality by making negative, discouraged updates, then you make yourself too important. In effect, you consider your assessment of things to be more valuable than God’s assessment. This also applies to the things you praise: things like being glad your team won or that you are glad to be home or that you can’t wait for the weekend. If such things are all you ever say, who will ever observe any appreciation of God's presence in your life? Who will understand that God, his providence and his word are the reasons for your joy?

The world wants to be the center of your life. There is a popular country song by Kenny Chesney that says that everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go now.  Communities like Facebook can and do promote this fascination with the world. Life is about me. This is, in one sense, despising the gift of God to you. Making the world the most important thing, saying what you feel at the moment, without regard to God’s involvement in your life, is, in effect, despising God’s provision. It is ignoring the intercessory work of Christ and the blessings guaranteed by the promise of the Spirit.  We all succumb to this temptation at times, and, by God's grace, fight against it; but we should be aware that when we despise God's grace on Facebook, we have a large audience, and this worldview is pleasing to Satan. Don't forget what is real. Your God neither slumbers nor sleeps. You are always held by his right hand. Don’t be caught up in the word’s delusion that life is about you and how you feel at the moment.

You are engaged in warfare. You are to take every thought captive for Christ. This certainly applies to Facebook. 

As James says, communication can bring honor or dishonor to God. Rethink the way you are involved in social networking. Help your children to see that Facebook is a providential opportunity to talk to many others about the wonder of God in everyday language. It is a way to speak of reality from God’s perspective in the midst of your own life experiences.

In the next post we will look more closely at how to say things that are helpful. Let me know your thoughts.