As I sit back and assess my life – I see a couple of issues that have been created by technology for moms:
1. The iPad, iPod, and iPhone can distract us away from the Great I AM. I feel this struggle between spending time in God’s word and blog hopping! We live in such an efficient culture that we’ve even made our quiet times efficient. But God’s word needs to be lingered over and meditated upon – it takes time – lots of time to soak it in.
2. While God speaks to me on-line through Godly men and women – our generation suffers from information overload. Can we really apply all we are learning from all the voices we listen to on-line? Sometimes we need to stop reading (or writing in my case) and focus on living it all out.
3. Media is designed to pull us in – to make us feel some sort of emotion – “buy me, try me, watch me“. It persuades us. It molds us. It changes our thinking. Whose voices are we listening to? Are we comparing our lives to someone elses on Facebook or twitter and growing discontent? Stop reading it. Are we flirting with a man other than our husband? Delete or block that person immediately.
4. We can become distant and distracted from the ones we love most. Our husbands can end up playing second fiddle to our media if we are not careful. They can’t compete with all the excitement that social media brings us. But the reality is – they should not have to compete. God, Our husband, our children, other things – we must keep our priorities in this order.
Let’s look at the influence media is having on our daughters:
1. Cell phones – there is more information packed in the pocket or purse of our daughters on a cell phone than 20 encyclopedias. Are we monitoring this? Are they prone to gossip – monitor their facebook and texting from their cell phone.
2. Social media – Our daughters will want to be on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and visit blogs. We must be vigilant to know who their friends are, whose voices do they listen to on Youtube? What blogs are they reading? What are they filling their minds with?
3. Television is still a major player in the shaping of our daughters. We must be teaching them how to filter their viewing according to God’s principles.
4. iTunes and iPods – music has played a large role in the shaping of our youth. At the click of the button they can download any song they’d like onto their ipods. We must be listening to what is pumping into their ears. Help them learn how to filter music according to God’s principles.
As we guide our children through this maze of technology, we must be wise ourselves. Technology is not evil – but some uses of it are.
We cannot monitor our children perfectly…and so this is where child training comes into play. We must help our children to have a Godly conscience that is convicted when they go out of bounds with media.
Have we forgotten the power of the “i” – not the iPad, iPhone or iPod but of the GREAT I AM?
I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:35ESV
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:9
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11
I am the resurrection and the life. John 11:25
I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14;6
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5
I am currently doing an 8 week series on Women Living Well. The series is titled Media Mondays . Each Monday I cover a different topic including Media and our walk with God, marriage, parenting, homemaking, friendships, and health. I hope you will stop by and see this week’s discussion How To Train Our Children to Use Media Wisely.
Walk with the King!
~Courtney (Women Living Well)
