I didn't title this post exactly as I wanted to. Really the issue is the negative pervasiveness of Facebook. In November I got on FB in order to sell on the Marketplace. That was all that happened for a while, but by looking at a few things, my News Feed began. It doesn't take long. I 'liked' a friend's business...
We needed roof repairs and our usual man could no longer work (we found out after hiring him for the job during COVID-19) so I joined Stafford Talk to find a roofer--we did, and what a blessing! We had him out a couple of times during the pandemic.
In the course of time, I joined a group about Lost Pets in my area...I'd found two dogs, tried to reunite them with their owners...you know how these things happen.
Eventually I joined a homeschool selling site and that led to a homeschool support site because hundreds of people in my state were suddenly considering homeschooling. As a bit of a veteran, I felt I had something to offer....wasn't it my duty?! (Sigh....)
Isn't this how it goes?
Though some people just lurk and think that is keeping them from the negative effects, they are still reading and being impacted by ideologies and ideas opposed to godliness. We started to see the negative effects of my 'small' endeavors quickly. Just reading the inane comments and bickering really helped me see how the thinking of the masses has penetrated many people's minds and impacted how they argue and take people to task...I saw myself more anxious and worked up about every day things that really were not big deals. So at a minimum, if you have issues with anxiety or anger, help yourself and please get off Facebook.
What I've found is that amid the very nice people and kind-hearted comments, there is a ribbon of godlessness. There is a self-absorption that naturally happens by the very nature of FB. It is a world unto oneself. People see things, interact mentally and sometimes by writing, that creates a part of life and their identity that may not be shared with those in their family. We decide who can see what we post, keep others from seeing...rather than learn to interact with a wide variety of people in real life, we pick and choose in a way that is utterly involved with 'self'. For married people, it isn't hard to see the danger in getting comfortable with the secrecy. Ultimately, we choose to walk among fools no matter how careful we may try to be, and we must be honest about the weakness of our own minds and how easily ideas can impact our thinking. This is why the church is worldly in large part...our thinking is bombarded with things other than Truth day in and day out.
John MacArthur has an excellent sermon on this concept. Stepping back and looking at my few months on FB, I have to agree. I have been utterly amazed at the baseness of comments and self-righteousness of people. We can think we are not being impacted by fools, but just like if our kids are in public school, we are all impacted by those we spend time around. I've felt my anxiety level drop now that I'm only selling again and am not connected to any groups (even the Aldi nerd group has people who get all spun up arguing over stupid things like the name of Mexican street corn...why do I even need to know that?) There are things I don't know going on all around me, but I just have to trust I will know what I need to know.
We needed roof repairs and our usual man could no longer work (we found out after hiring him for the job during COVID-19) so I joined Stafford Talk to find a roofer--we did, and what a blessing! We had him out a couple of times during the pandemic.
In the course of time, I joined a group about Lost Pets in my area...I'd found two dogs, tried to reunite them with their owners...you know how these things happen.
Eventually I joined a homeschool selling site and that led to a homeschool support site because hundreds of people in my state were suddenly considering homeschooling. As a bit of a veteran, I felt I had something to offer....wasn't it my duty?! (Sigh....)
Isn't this how it goes?
Though some people just lurk and think that is keeping them from the negative effects, they are still reading and being impacted by ideologies and ideas opposed to godliness. We started to see the negative effects of my 'small' endeavors quickly. Just reading the inane comments and bickering really helped me see how the thinking of the masses has penetrated many people's minds and impacted how they argue and take people to task...I saw myself more anxious and worked up about every day things that really were not big deals. So at a minimum, if you have issues with anxiety or anger, help yourself and please get off Facebook.
John MacArthur has an excellent sermon on this concept. Stepping back and looking at my few months on FB, I have to agree. I have been utterly amazed at the baseness of comments and self-righteousness of people. We can think we are not being impacted by fools, but just like if our kids are in public school, we are all impacted by those we spend time around. I've felt my anxiety level drop now that I'm only selling again and am not connected to any groups (even the Aldi nerd group has people who get all spun up arguing over stupid things like the name of Mexican street corn...why do I even need to know that?) There are things I don't know going on all around me, but I just have to trust I will know what I need to know.
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