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Facebook vs. Bible Study
Many choices we make in life are not between good and evil per se. Often a choice is between preferences: what really engages our interest and imagination and enjoyment. So, let me ask a question regarding social media: Have you ever said “no” to Facebook in order to engage in Bible study? If in all honesty you find Facebook more rewarding than study or some other spiritual activity, I encourage you to explore why that is so.
Here is one observation to consider: Facebook is a smorgasbord of emotions. You can be thrilled by your friends’ good news; you can laugh at cute videos; you can be shocked by the latest dumb thing someone did on camera; you can be appalled at comments from the trolls; you can be amazed by brain teasers; you can even gain insight from devotional messages. And all you have to do is … keep scrolling down.
It’s addictive, isn’t it? Just keep scrolling down for another shot of emotion, adrenaline, fascination, irritation, etc. Facebook is not without merit, but it is a microcosm of what we are becoming as a people: shallow, emotionally-based, peripherally involved with others (Like!), distracted by what is not inherently sinful but which diverts from things that are more important.
By contrast, Bible study requires research, reasoning, analysis, making complex connections. It isn’t an immediate jolt of emotion. It takes effort. And that is why social media can be so corrosive without being overtly evil. Emotions, like brownies, can be addictive. But you can’t live on a steady diet of either.
