e-Living Take advantage of the opportunities for serving God in cyberspace! By Tricia Downey

If you’re at all like me, many of your everyday activities have some connection to the internet. I read the newspaper online, pay my bills, shop, e-mail family, talk to friends, look at pictures, and send work documents to my colleagues. Do you spend your days checking your e-mail, instant-messaging, and reading blogs?  Or maybe it’s just a once-a-week habit—a time to check up on your internet “friends” and see what’s new in their world.

If you haven’t noticed, the internet affects the way most of us live our lives!  News travels faster than ever before. Pictures can be uploaded, downloaded, e-mailed, and shared, minutes after they’re taken. Friends across the city, state, country, or world can communicate almost instantaneously. No longer do we use the internet just to find information—now we use it to connect to people, discuss issues, share events in our lives, and accentuate things we have in common with groups of people.

So what does the internet have to do with our spiritual lives? I’m thankful for a relationship with God that is relevant to and affects every area of my life. Philippians 1:27 says, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent,

I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” The word “conversation,” as it is used in this passage, refers to our conduct or way of living. Paul said that if we have committed our lives to Christ, we should live in ways that are worthy of Him and His good news.

Here are a couple of guiding questions to use in every area of our lives:  “Is my conduct a living example of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Does it show that I am pulling together with my Christian sisters and brothers for the faith of the Gospel?”

What does it mean to conduct ourselves worthy of the Gospel of Christ in connection with the internet? Here are some points to consider:

Content

Is the content of what we put on the web encouraging to other Christians?  Does it draw non-Christians towards Christ or does it push them away?  Do the pictures we post and the music we link to line up with our testimony? While we may intend the things we say or show to be seen only by our friends, people far beyond our intended audience may see and link to what we e-mail or post on a blog. In addition, the things we post can be found on search engines for a long time—perhaps even after we forget they are there. People are always watching for what makes our lives different. If we are tuned in to the great opportunity that the internet offers us, we can use it as a tool for outreach.

Tone

When we are face-to-face with another person, we constantly pick up non-verbal cues from them. Unconsciously, we “read” facial expressions, posture, and tone of voice. When we are not face-to-face, it is much more difficult to pick up on these vital aspects of communication. Jokes get taken seriously, sarcasm and intended humor are misinterpreted, feelings are hurt, and misunderstandings can begin. Furthermore, it is also easier to be thoughtless or even unkind when we don’t have to see the other person’s reaction. Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Anything we say should be full of grace and wisdom!  Jesus said that we are to be the salt of the earth—the things we say should make everything “taste” better.  

Purpose

What is the reason for our time spent online? Are we online just to entertain ourselves? There are many ways of finding entertainment on the internet—videos, games, instant messaging, and social-networking options are unlimited. It is easy to get sucked into something online and suddenly realize that hours have disappeared!

Another question to ask is this: Are we online to satisfy selfish desires? The internet certainly offers that—we are constantly bombarded with promotionals, easy ways to lose weight fast, pornographic materials, and the latest get-rich-quick schemes. In contrast, we can be online to glorify God. We can look for opportunities to build rich and meaningful relationships with friends who will encourage us to draw closer to God. We can reach out to those who are hurting or looking for God. We can spend our time on sites that are uplifting and help us to grow in our walk with Christ.

Every day we are given new and exciting ways to reflect Christ and what He has done in our lives. Each interaction we have: in person, by letter, over the phone, on instant messaging, by e-mail, or on a social-networking site, is another chance for us to let God’s love be shown. What an incredible opportunity to be able to build and strengthen friendships with believers around the world!

I once read a comment someone posted on a weblog, “If all I knew of the Church [the Christian Church in general] was what I read of it in blogs, I would never attend one for the rest of my life.” What a sad commentary!

My personal experience has been different. I’ve been blessed by online reports of the exciting things happening in our churches all over the world. The internet has made this possible. I’m better able to understand and pray for the needs of my friends because of the ability to share information over great distances, and can celebrate with friends when I hear about what God has done in their lives.

The online world is one of the great mission fields for our generation. I am confident that God will strengthen us, enabling us to conduct ourselves online in a manner worthy of Him.

Tricia Downey is a member of the Apostolic Faith Church in Seattle, Washington, where she directs the music.