Text MessageOkay… mass confession time: How many have wasted time that could have been better spent some other way? How many have wasted hour upon hour staring at a computer screen forwarding emails 100 other people forwarded before you got it?  How many have played some kind of game or read drivel passed off as news for longer than you should have?  I see one hand… two… three more… yes I see you over there… looks like everyone’s hand is up… including mine (To my shame).

Up for another question?  Would you not agree that Facebook, Myspace, texting (The average teenager sends and receives 2,272 text messages a month!), Twitter, and other things like that are infringing upon a wise use of the time God gives everyone each day?

Ephesians 5:15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16  making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Colossians 4:5 Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

Confession: Last night I found myself on Facebook playing a stupid game.  Oh… did I tell you what time it was?  1:30 AM.  Never mind that I couldn’t sleep due to a minor G.I. problem, the point is I was WASTING my time!

John Piper in his book “Don’t Waste Your Life” muses about what it might be like for a person to stand before God on judgment day and say… “Lord… look at all these beautiful sea shells I collected after I retired!” Put that thought in another context… “Lord… did you see that I had the coolest Myspace page?!  Did you see that I got to level 2,603 in Mafia Wars?  Did hear me quote line after line after line from all the black and white Andy Griffith episodes?!”

I’m not saying that recreation is to be avoided… but it is possible for recreation (Myspace, Twitter, Games, Facebook, Blogging?) to become an idol.  It is possible to make rest and relaxation an idol.  The Bible calls that being lazy.

That is why Paul wrote, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise…” and “Conduct yourselves wisely.”

mafia wars Check Facebook… just don’t spend 3 hours doing it.  Play a computer game to relax… just don’t do it for hour upon hour (Especially if you are at work!).  Collect a few seashells, but don’t make that your reason for existing.

Satan has got American Christians hoodwinked.  Instead of sending armed thugs to break up our worship services, he distracts us by using innocuous electronic gadgets and games so that time better spent otherwise is lost forever.

Now with every head bowed and every eye closed…