The Joy of Choosing Online Influence Intentionally

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This week in the Faith Hub: Where God and Technology Connect series, we’re discussing the importance of choosing online influences intentionally and the rewards of that choice.

Many times the reason for our failures in life is not because we purposefully set out to do wrong. The reason for many failures in life is because we didn’t purposefully plan to do right. Enter the old adage: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

In the Old Testament, one of the kings of Israel, Rehoboam, is interestingly described. II Chronicles 12:14 reads:

And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.

Rehoboam wasn’t an intentional, purposeful person who really wanted God and that was the reason for his demise.  He did evil because he did not purposefully choose to set his heart to seek God.

In regards to choosing what influences we allow in our lives, the Bible gives specific instructions.  One of the chapters I memorized as a child is Psalm 1 and today when I read it, the New Living Translation of verse 1 struck me in a fresh way:

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

In other words, how happy are the people who purposely choose positive influences.

Christians often warn our children about hanging out at certain places of the world because of the negative impact it can have on their lives.  Awareness of evil is just as important in virtual spaces as it is everyday places. By choosing our usage intentionally, we can experience the rewards of God’s plan for technology and internet usage.

Let’s ponder 3 joys of purposefully choosing to use technology and the internet to seek the Lord.  No matter who or what we allow to influence us- whether it’s our Facebook feed, Pinterest account, Twitter feed, Google searches or Youtube- there are benefits to being purposeful. Here we go:

1. When we choose to use technology or the internet for godly reasons, God is pleased with us.

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Psalm 37:23

2. When we use technology or the internet to grow in our walk with God, we reap the benefit of being close to Him.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. James 4:8

Whether it is using a Bible app, or devotional app, or prayer journal app, God loves it when we pursue personal fellowship with Him.  The closer we move towards Him, the closer He moves towards us.

3. When we use technology or the internet to seek godly advice, we can experience success in our endeavors.

Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. Prov. 15:22

Reading blogs and social media feeds are a fantastic way to seek godly advice and receive answers from the Lord.  Many times, God has used a blog post or email devotional in such a specific way in my life that I knew it was a gift from Him for that day.

Speaking of blogs, my awesome blogging friends can link up below! Thanks for being a part of positive online influence!

Today I want to encourage you to be intentional about the details of how you use technology, the internet, and social media so that you can reap the rewards God wants to give you for using these tools responsibly. And I would love to know:

How have you seen God work in your life through technology?