Facebook can make it hard to be friends.
Don't get me wrong... It's been wonderful to connect to current friends I hang out often with, friends I barely see anymore and friends with whom I've completely lost contact. I've received and given encourgement and comfort and support more times I than I can count with both my hands and feet. There's funny comments, lots of photos and glimpses into the lives of people I can about.
That being said, FB was created by humans. Thus, it is intrinsically imperfect. There are times when it is difficult to upload photos; occasions where there are servers issues that cause posts to be repeated or delayed. There are plenty of problems that can come from a free service. After all, the phrase "you get what you pay for" is cliche because it's true.
And some of those imperfect humans I call my friends use profanity.
I'm not a totally prude or snob. I have learned to accept profane, vulgar and obscene language, jokes and other such from friends that are not Christians. They are of the world and that is how the world behaves. I still love them. Most have realized I'm not comfortable around that language and politely, kindly, modify their speech when they are around me.
(digress) Maybe I am a snob. But I don't think it's just because I'm a Christian. I'm a lover of the English language. For all its shortcomings and faults it's a beautiful expressive language and there are a myrid of words that have been lost over the years as people neglect to use them. Profanity seems to be the default for people who don't have a decent vocabulary. I know that's not always true, but that's the impression people give. (/digress)
What bothers me is the obscenities written on my friends' walls and comments and status areas. By my friends. I do realize language is fluid and changes. What was considered profanity even just 30 years ago is considered tame today by the world.
Aha! That's just it. That's what bothers me. As Christians we are called to be set apart from the world, a fancy word for that being sanctified. We are to be holy as God is holy. Leviticus 11:45 is one of the places God says so; "I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy." There are so many times in scripture where it makes this point of being set apart from the world. Here's just a small sampling...
(I know most people won't believe it but I have actually sworn in my life. I'm not proud of the moments. I am a goody-two shoes in that I can count them on one or two hands. And severeral times it was in my head and not out loud. Though, of course, God still heard it and I knew I said it.)
It's not just profanity but course talk, lewd jokes, innapropriate sexual innendos, disparaging comments, sarcasm aimed at another person, and other talk is not beneficial though permissible (1Corinthians 10:23 states, "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is constructive.).
The standard for Christ followers should be to ask yourself "would you say this in front of Jesus"? Because he is always with us you already are speaking in front of him. What will he hear from our lips and mouths? The book of James 3:10 says, "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." What should come out of our lips?
I'd like to see others take a stand as well. You control what you see on Facebook. Don't allow your mind to be filled with garbage. Choose to think on what is beneficial, constructive and uplifting. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." (Philippeans 4:8)
You may be reading this realizing you're one of the people I'm talking about. Please know I say this all in love. I do not want to condemn you but build you up to be stronger in your faith, as we're instructed to do so in Hebrews 10:24. It says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."
So next time you feel like swearing, do yourself a favor and grab a thesauras and come up with a better, more descriptive word. If you follow Christ, think about what he'd like to hear from you mouth instead.
Don't get me wrong... It's been wonderful to connect to current friends I hang out often with, friends I barely see anymore and friends with whom I've completely lost contact. I've received and given encourgement and comfort and support more times I than I can count with both my hands and feet. There's funny comments, lots of photos and glimpses into the lives of people I can about.
That being said, FB was created by humans. Thus, it is intrinsically imperfect. There are times when it is difficult to upload photos; occasions where there are servers issues that cause posts to be repeated or delayed. There are plenty of problems that can come from a free service. After all, the phrase "you get what you pay for" is cliche because it's true.
And some of those imperfect humans I call my friends use profanity.
I'm not a totally prude or snob. I have learned to accept profane, vulgar and obscene language, jokes and other such from friends that are not Christians. They are of the world and that is how the world behaves. I still love them. Most have realized I'm not comfortable around that language and politely, kindly, modify their speech when they are around me.
(digress) Maybe I am a snob. But I don't think it's just because I'm a Christian. I'm a lover of the English language. For all its shortcomings and faults it's a beautiful expressive language and there are a myrid of words that have been lost over the years as people neglect to use them. Profanity seems to be the default for people who don't have a decent vocabulary. I know that's not always true, but that's the impression people give. (/digress)
What bothers me is the obscenities written on my friends' walls and comments and status areas. By my friends. I do realize language is fluid and changes. What was considered profanity even just 30 years ago is considered tame today by the world.
Aha! That's just it. That's what bothers me. As Christians we are called to be set apart from the world, a fancy word for that being sanctified. We are to be holy as God is holy. Leviticus 11:45 is one of the places God says so; "I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy." There are so many times in scripture where it makes this point of being set apart from the world. Here's just a small sampling...
2 Corinthians 1:12 "Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace. "
James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. "
James 4:4 "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."
1 Peter 2:11 "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul."
1 John 2:15 "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."I'm a little disturbed by Christian frinds who obviously feel cursing is okay. I don't want to seem judgemental. I'm not saying they're bad people or not "real" Christians. I'm saying that that kind of language is part of the old self and life that are left behind and crucified when one makes a decision to follow Jesus. Not that we're perfect either; especially if one was an avid curser the occasional profanity is probably going to slip out. But it should not be done by carelessness or lack of paying attention to controlling oneself.
(I know most people won't believe it but I have actually sworn in my life. I'm not proud of the moments. I am a goody-two shoes in that I can count them on one or two hands. And severeral times it was in my head and not out loud. Though, of course, God still heard it and I knew I said it.)
It's not just profanity but course talk, lewd jokes, innapropriate sexual innendos, disparaging comments, sarcasm aimed at another person, and other talk is not beneficial though permissible (1Corinthians 10:23 states, "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is constructive.).
The standard for Christ followers should be to ask yourself "would you say this in front of Jesus"? Because he is always with us you already are speaking in front of him. What will he hear from our lips and mouths? The book of James 3:10 says, "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." What should come out of our lips?
Psalm 19:14 "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."
Psalm 40:3 "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord."
Pro 16:23 "A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction."
Mat 12:33-37 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." [Italics for emphasis]
Mat 15:11 "What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' "Where does that leave me on Facebook? I'm starting to take a stand. I've begun hiding folks who use profanity/vulgarity in their status lines. I have unfriended at least three people who've dropped the f-bomb in their status no matter who they are. The last one was just today. It hurt to take them off.
I'd like to see others take a stand as well. You control what you see on Facebook. Don't allow your mind to be filled with garbage. Choose to think on what is beneficial, constructive and uplifting. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." (Philippeans 4:8)
You may be reading this realizing you're one of the people I'm talking about. Please know I say this all in love. I do not want to condemn you but build you up to be stronger in your faith, as we're instructed to do so in Hebrews 10:24. It says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."
So next time you feel like swearing, do yourself a favor and grab a thesauras and come up with a better, more descriptive word. If you follow Christ, think about what he'd like to hear from you mouth instead.
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