Who Will Deny Themselves?

I awoke listening to a report about the high number of accidents caused by young drivers who are texting. I hear mothers comment regularly on the downside of the things that distract us in this culture such as Facebook. I've read studies that show people are happier who are not on Facebook. A newer study has found people on Facebook are more insecure and narcissistic (did we need a study to show the latter?)

Some people even recognize that what adults can handle, children do not handle the same way. What we can do as people who are mature works differently for growing people...and yet, where are the mothers willing to deny themselves the freedom they 'could' enjoy but who choose not to for the greater good of society? We all say we understand that children do what they see done...they model who we are not what we say, and yet, where are the mom's who are passing up having a Smartphone so their children see how to live in a world based on what is right in front of them? Where are the moms who forgo Facebook so their children see how to focus on real people that God has put in their neighborhood? So much of what we spend time on today is not the work God has called us to or put right in front of us. How much more would we share Christ if the relationships we had were only those with whom we interacted with, or could interact with, on a daily basis? I dare say we'd talk to people in close proximity to us a lot more than we do. We wouldn't be needlessly stressed out with the terrible things going on in the world, which we can do nothing about but pray...and prayer is powerful, but do we truly pray and seek God on the hardships we hear day in and day out in areas far from us? Or do we have momentary concern, momentary prayer and then just go on about our duties? We should be going about our duties, so the point is, are we helped knowing the crimes in Britain while we are in the U.S.? The Internet and access to it has disintegrated any hedge of protection and we are becoming more hardened. Our children are distracted to a deep degree because we are distracted. No one with a Smartphone can go all through a personal visit without looking at it...it may be to look something up that you are discussing, or show you pictures or videos, but the point it, it gets a hold on your mind and habits. Why do we allow it? Grandparents survived for AGES without pictures of their grandchildren being posted on line. We are a culture of marginalization.

God, please give us wisdom, discernment and courage~

~Ann