Do you Facebook? I know many of you do. It’s quite the communication phenomenon. I stayed on the periphery for the longest time, opting out of adding another computer distraction to my day. But, little by little, the allure of connecting with old friends and keeping up weekly, daily, hourly, and even minute by minute with my blogging friends, won me over. I was completely hooked.
Large chunks of my day began to become unaccounted for anything productive. I kept up with everyone, morning, noon and night, and awoke early in the morning to thoughts of what my friends might be doing that day. I even found myself rushing through my quiet time in order to get on the computer and see what I’d missed. Well, today I was called on the carpet.
Actually, it started last night during a conversation with my friend, Pat, who just spoke at a conference where she shared the podium with Kelly Minter. There were quite of few of us last summer that worked through Kelly’s bible study called No Other Gods. As Pat told me about her time with Kelly, and Kelly’s message to the audience, we talked about that study and what it had meant to me. I immediately felt an unsettling in my spirit, or a rising up, rather, of an unsettling that I’d been shoving down for some time.
The following is the definition of an “idol” or “false god” by Ken Sande, found on Day 1 of the NOG study:
It may seem a little over-the-top to claim that Facebook had become an idol in my life, but by the definitions above, it had. It was “perfectly good” in and of itself, but the problem came in my allowing something other than God to “rule” me and my mind. It was beginning to dictate the way I spent my days instead of God. In short: not good.
Last night’s rising conviction grew even stronger this morning, and as I was praying (read: arguing) about it, into my mind comes, unbidden, my memory verse for these last two weeks:
Psalm 119:59:60
Certainly, I’ll still be around here, with hopefully a lot more meat and a lot less fluff. After all, I won’t be spending all my time on Facebook, but with my FACE in the BOOK.
Melinda,
I would like to do the same think with my Facebook, actually.
Would any Siesta’s be willing to help me know when there are gatherings so I could possibly, perhaps, participate?
I would love to delete and get my Face (in the) Book as well!
Love,
Yolanda
I’M FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I did it, and I’m so free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hear ya. It’s so funny how we go through seasons… something that God can use to bless us can wind up becoming something that keeps us from Him.
What a blessing, Melinda!
I have had a hold in my spirit and haven’t gotten a facebook account–for me, not others. The Lord was very plain with me that it would be opening a door in my life to stronghold. And you know, I’d like to not go there.
I try to keep up with old friends through email and Christmas letters. Sometimes, though, I just need to be a friend to the ones God brings my way.
May God bless you, as you seek Him.
I don’t FB, but ofen spend too much time blogging! I need to take another look at the purpose of my writing and keep “my face” in the book too.
I’m back….having some fun, but there is a lot of truth in this for me…..
http://yolandarogers.blogspot.com/2009/01/oh-i-feel-good.html
I Facebook but haven’t had a problem limiting my time spent there — yet 🙂 Hopefully, it will stay that way. God bless you for your obedience, Melinda!
Melinda — ouch! Girl, you’ve given me much to think about today. I love that about you — your God given ability to communicate truth with such grace and kindness.
I’ll keep you posted on the Siesta goings on!
Melinda,
Thank you for this post. You are so right. FB can certainly become an IDOL. I use FB with my work so I can’t get off completely but I think I’m going to use it as I had first intended…to encourage others.
Thank you for being so open. We all need to check ourselves and keep our face in the BOOK.
Blessings!
Melinda, even though I don’t facebook, this is a good reminder to make sure we don’t allow things to become idols in our lives. I am glad that the Lord spoke and you listened. You are precious.
In Him,
Beth
Good to see you’ve broke free and look forward to keeping up with you out here in the blog o sphere.
big hugs!
What you say is true for just about anything. We can (and do) make idols of all sorts of things. That saying about identifying what a person worships by seeing where they spend their time, energy, and money is so true.
Bravo to you for this post and for breaking free!
I think I just was smacked in the FACE!! How true! It becomes obsessive. How in the world did something so innocent consume so much of my time?
Thank you for this, my friend. It was a word much needed.
Love you!
Hey there, new BFF Siesta friend! You know I don’t facebook and barely blog and now I know why. Like you, I can’t take on one more thing and since Queen Esther has arrived in my life I sure know I can’t.
Let’s just blog and sit at His feet.
Can’t wait to meet you in person in Pigeon Forge. Love, Jill
Dang…that was awesome Melinda.
Face in the book!!! I’d much rather be about our blogs anyway…thats where the depth and heart is anyway.
You go girl. I think you rock! 🙂
Hugs,
Fran
Praise God that he showed you that! I’m glad your blog posts won’t now suffer…I love them (and you) so! see you at the luncheon! xoxo
Melinda,
Thank you for being an example of obedience. You inspire me!
I will keep in touch through your blog. Which btw, the girl who designed your blog used to be in my SS class at FBCW. It’s a small world! She saw our picture on your blog!
Love ya!
Funny you should be talking about this…
I just wrote something on another blog addressing this issue. She was asking about “twitter” and other things (i.e. facebook). Here was my response…
“My 19 year old son set up a facebook account for me back in the Fall. I now have close to 100 friends (I know…small in comparison to others). But I don’t measure my “friendship success” by that count. Please. Who has time? And as for “pokes” and “invitations” and “snowballs”, I am useless; nor do I care.
I do find it an interesting way to re-connect with others from time to time, but honestly, I don’t need another addiction, and I do believe it can easily become as such.
Many of my blogging friends have gone the way of facebook to the neglect of writing on their blogs anymore. That’s a personal choice, but honestly, I don’t get it.
I’d rather spend an hour over coffee with a friend, face to face, rather than trying to scratch an old itch with a few moments of plesantries.”
Perhaps you get a feel for how I feel about facebook, although I do keep my account but rarely check it.
Supporting you, friend, and glad for yours and Yolanda’s freedom!
peace~elaine
nice blog….
I have just found your blog through the LPM blog. I loved your post. Getting our “face” into THE Book is what it is all about! God will bless you for your immediate obedience! Many blessings, and I am looking forward to reading more.
Love,
Becky
Melinda,
This is so good and just another of your timely challenges. I do have a FB (after being asked about it so many times). Although I spend very little time on it I can definitely see how all of this communication technology can become an idol.
The risk of spending too many hours of our day connecting to anyone and everyone but THE ONE that matters is worthy of our constant re-evaluation!
more good stuff
Pat
What a great post. And I love that you are able to revisit what we learned in NOG over the summer months. I have revisited it plenty since the fall and doing the Moses study at BSF. I’m glad you were able to pinpoint something that needed to go to make room for HIM.
It is wonderful that you obeyed the Lord when you were convicted that something was becoming a problem for you. There is just so many even good and wonderful things that can take over our time if we allow. The key is to find the right balance, because even our career, children, church, computer, committees, community and other good causes can keep us from keeping our face in The Book!
Blessings on you for making the right decision for you!
Way to go! There are way too many temptations for things to become idols these days.
I will check in with you here and like now step out and comment.
I set aside time 30-60 mins a day to get all computer stuff done: school, emails, blogs, FB- in that order and plenty of times I don’t get to the last two.
email: tnbred2 at comcast dot net
Keep in touch! Love your wisdom
Blessings, Nesha
How did I miss this? Thank you for sharing it with me. I think I was worried that blogging was taking too much time so I decided to do FB instead. Now I realize blogging is SO much better! I have so many blogs that I’ve been neglecting. I feel badly. I’ll Pray about whether I should delete all together or just spend less time and energy on it. Thank you, dear friend!
Love you,
Angie xoxo
Great post. I linked up to it from Angie’s post about FB. I love the idea Face (in the) Book. Awesome!
I’m doing the NOG and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. She is a phenominal writer and study leader.