Years ago, when I lived in Northern California, I worked in the woods as a timber faller. Some jobs took us a long way from home and we had to carve out camps in very remote and rustic places. The work was exhausting and mostly satisfying. Evenings were spent around campfires that were sometimes lively with conversation and sometimes quiet depending on how the days work went. We had a saying: “Some days
you get the
bear, and some days the
bear gets
you.”
My experience with the
internet has been like that. It’s a great tool; an unbelievable way to
communicate, to
learn, and to get your
work done. It’s also a place for
distraction, wasting time, and
wandering into places where
traps have been set for you.
Open communication with
accountability partners have been the
key for my internet use. Job 31:1-4 has been a guiding verse:
"I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a young woman. What has God above chosen for us? What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high? It is calamity for the wicked, misfortune for those who do evil. He sees everything I do and every step I take.
A couple of weeks ago, to my kids dismay, I signed up for one of
those “My Space” accounts. I said just like that to my eighteen year old daughter, “I signed up for one of
those ‘My Space’ things.”
To which she said as she rolled her eyes, “Dad.
Why?”
“So I can communicate with
(un-named extended family members)”
“They don’t want to see
you on their My Space,” she said.
I knew that. But I didn’t care. And I set up the account. But here’s the thing: everyplace I went to try and get my page set up had all kind of adds with huge chested (can you say, "silicone implant"?) women, chat rooms for lonely singles (or married folk
pretending they're single), and
foul language. I was afraid to have my wife walk in the room. And I couldn’t even have one of my extended family members post thoughts on my account because I was blown out of the room by “F”
bomb after “F” bomb. I definitely couldn’t link from here (my blog) to there because most of you guys know I’m a
pastor. So I deleted the thing, frustrated.
As you know, last Thursday was April 20 or 4/20. That’s the day
pot heads unite to party and smoke out. I thought it would be fun to post something taking shots at the event and googled 420. The second link I clicked was porn. I slammed shut the lid on my laptop as fast as I could and ran to tell my wife. She gets sent a list of all the websites I visit courtesy of
CovenantEyes.com every couple of weeks so I thought she should know that it was an accident. I swear.
But that’s what I mean. “Some days you get the bear, and some days the bear gets you.
We’re surrounded everyday with shiny, pretty things to attract our eyes and our lust. Even at church, our sisters attract our attention in a way that, well, we don’t look at them like sisters. Below is a graphic I found on
Andrew Jones blog that says it all:
Change is easy; once you’re on the other side of it. But while you’re going through it, it’s difficult; sometimes torturous. I met Jeff Jackson during a tricky transitional period in my ministry life. Our meeting was providentially arranged and I’m grateful for Jeff’s friendship.
