Public Theology & Christian Living

by Roger Overton –

Internet technology has effectively flooded many of our lives with new opportunities, responsibilities, and distractions. Socially, the Internet has opened thousands of new employment possibilities and opportunities for single men and women to meet people outside their circle of friends. Corporations are now faced with the necessity of protecting and using their online identities. “Television” is no longer just on TV, but can now also be viewed online and while playing games with users across the globe and chatting with friends through webcams

For almost every benefit brought about by the internet, there is also a downside. Spouses are finding new ways to have affairs while claiming that the affairs aren’t immoral because the relationships are emotional rather than physical. Statistics consistently show that compulsive gambling is on the rise in an online world where physical barriers are removed. Many of these statistics crossover with online community gaming where some people now spend most of their time and money.

These problems, amongst others, leave many Christians wondering if they should even involve themselves in the new media world. Should we create Facebook or MySpace profiles and run the risk of thinking too much of ourselves? Should we start Twitter feeds that may aggrandize the most mundane details of our lives?

I believe most people who are seeking to follow Christ would do well to participate in new media. It would be foolish of me to suggest that the risks involved in new media participation are insignificant or that Christians are immune to them. Most everything we do involves some degree of risk—whether it’s flying in an airplane or pursuing a romantic relationship. So the fact that there are risks involved should not be enough to deter us from participating in new media. The question is this: Are what may be mere technological fads worth the risks?

“In the World” With New Media
Historically, the Christians who have made a difference in the lives of people around them are those who did not seclude themselves from everything “new.” As heirs to the Reformation, we are dependently grateful for a monk who took advantage of the new media of his day: the mass production of books and tracts.

Our responsibility, as followers of Christ, is first to go into the world. Jesus prayed that His followers would not be taken out of the world, but that they would be kept from the evil one (John 17:15). And He has not sent His followers unequipped, but with the very words of God and His Holy Spirit to illuminate His words in our lives. So we are to go into the world with discernment, and discernment is no less needed in new media than the rest of the world. We will not avoid every danger that lurks in the shadows, but we can overcome many of them and use new media to God’s glory if we approach it with humility and wisdom.

Christians should invest in new media because those around us do. In his chapter in The New Media Frontier, former college pastor Rhett Smith recounts his realization that his refusal to enter social networking was an obstacle to relating to his students.¹ His students were engaging in activities online he knew nothing about, but once he logged in to their world, he saw an abundance of opportunities to minister in their lives. Face-to-face relationships will always be the best way to minister to those in our churches and surrounding communities, but no one has the time to keep up with everyone in his life on a regular basis. Rhett found that by taking advantage of new media he was able to multiply his ministry efforts and be a more effective voice in the lives of his students. Simply being visible in their social networks made him appear available, and many of his students sought him out because of it, often leading to more face-to-face ministry. The bottom line is that we should care about new media because a growing number of people invest part of the lives there, and we would be missing out on opportunities if we do not meet them there.

The fact that a growing number of people are spending significant time on the internet engaged in new media is not remarkable. Anyone who is paying attention sees it, including the enemy. For several weeks last year the number one audio book on iTunes was A New Earth: Awakening Your Life’s Purpose by New Age Guru Eckart Tolle. At the same time, the most popular pod cast was Oprah Winfrey’s 10-class series on the book. While it is important to respond to false teachings outside of new media, we will have a greater impact if new media is part of our approach. How do I know? New media’s working quite well for the false teachers. But iTunes, YouTube, and every blogging platform is just as open to Christian use as it is to the enemy.

Some ministries are already knee-deep in using new media to advance the truth. Stand to Reason (www.str.org) has been using iTunes to expand the audience of their already popular radio show. Mormonism Research Ministry has been utilizing YouTube (http://youtube.com/user/MRMdotORG) to promote videos exposing the lies of Mormonism. These ministries, and many others, are examples of how Christians can be effective in new media, either by doing something new or multiplying the reach of what they’re already doing. Though the enemy has been using new media to advance his cause, so too have Christians, and there is ample room for more to join their brothers and sisters on the front lines.

Furthermore, Marshall McLuhan made the case that the media are extensions of man.² That is, media are tools that extend our abilities to do what we are already doing. We were already sending letters for communication, but email enhanced and extended our ability to communicate messages. If we’re seeking to follow Christ, we are being conformed to the image of Christ. We are living and sharing His truth with others. New media provides many opportunities to extend our ability to grow and share our faith by various means.

“Not of the World” With the New Media
It is likely the case that most of you reading this are already involved in new media in some way. You may already have a Facebook profile or Twitter feed, watched a YouTube video or spent some time playing an online game. Having some justification for our new media participation is helpful, but what we really need at this point are tools for discerning how we can use new media well so that in all things we can act to the glory of God.

The foundation of our discernment can be found in God’s command to guard our hearts (Prov. 4:23). Puritan John Flavel said that “The heart of man is his worst part before it is regenerate, and it is his best part afterwards. . . . The greatest difficulty in conversion is to win the heart to God, and the greatest difficulty after conversion is to keep the heart with God.”

What exactly is the “heart”? Biblically, it can mean emotions or feelings, as we might expect. Generally though, the term “heart” is used in a much broader sense. It is the total of our inward spiritual life. It includes our thoughts, emotions, convictions, and our relationship to God. Our hearts are what motivate our thoughts, actions, and other behaviors. Jesus tells us that “the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile man” (Matt. 15:18-20). John Flavel sums it up this way: “The heart is the womb of all actions. These actions are virtually and seminally contained in our thoughts, and these thoughts, being once made up in the affections, are quickly made up into suitable actions and practices.”⁴

Whether we do good or bad, whether we worship God or sin against Him, our actions come from our hearts. For these reasons we are to not only guard our hearts, but to do so “with all vigilance,” or as the NIV says, “above all else guard your heart.” Think about what is important to you. Maybe your car, or your financial status, or your family is where your heart is. Above everything else, guard your heart. Before watching over your wife or husband, your kids, your job, or anything else, guard your heart. We are to hold our own hearts above everything else because our hearts will influence how we interact or deal with everything else that is important.

For this “great business of a Christian’s life,” Flavel mapped out six acts involved in guarding our hearts.⁵

1. Frequently observe the heart. We need to examine ourselves daily (Lam. 3:40; 2 Cor. 13:5). Flavel says, “The heart can never be kept until its case is examined and understood.” We need to dive deep into our inner heart and know what is lurking there if we are at all to keep it. On this point, theologian Wayne Grudem said in a lecture, “This verse implies that you can know your heart. It implies that you can examine your heart. How can you keep or guard something you don’t know anything about? It would make no sense to say ‘Guard it!’ ‘Keep it!’ ‘Watch it!” if you could not tell what was in your heart. So look at your heart.”⁶

As we spend time in new media, it’s important to find moments to step back and examine how we use it. Is our time on the internet distracting us from other relationships or responsibilities? Is the content we’re consuming healthy for us? Is the content we’re posting online edifying to others? Questions like these will help us examine our hearts and the quality of the time we spend online.

2. Be humble. Flavel said, “The upright heart cannot be at rest till it has wept out its troubles and poured out its complaints before the Lord.” We cannot be prideful and defensive before the almighty and righteous God as we deal with the sin issues of our inner hearts. This requires humility and openness before the throne of God.

For many people, the anonymity available online brings out prideful personalities. Some take every opportunity to promote themselves as more knowledgeable or sophisticated than others. As followers of Christ, we must be mindful of how our words come across. True humility in character, action and words flows from an understanding of our place before God and our dependency on His grace in our lives. If we are not humble before the throne of God, we will not be humble toward others.

3. Pray. “It includes earnest supplications and instant prayer for the heart-purifying and rectifying grace, when sin has defiled and disordered it,” wrote Flavel. As David prayed in Psalm 19:12-13, “Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me.” And also in Psalm 86:11, “Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy Truth; Unite my heart to fear Thy name.” Prayer is a sign that we are humble before the Lord and submissive to Him.

This is the act I struggle most with. It’s far too easy to go on Facebook, Twitter or someone’s blog and write a few lines of comments without submitting those words to God in prayer. Too many times have I quickly typed a response or comment only to later realize it was prideful, needlessly offensive, or out of line in some other manner. Prayer adds a filter to our words by putting us in a Godward frame of mind.

4. Commit. Flavel said, “Well-composed, advised, and deliberate vows are, in some cases, of excellent use to guard the heart against special sin.” In our culture we are surrounded with countless opportunities to fall into sin, through what we find in magazines, television, and relationships, just to name a few. Making a commitment, a vow, or a promise to God is one way to protect your heart from the pollutions of this world.

In new media, we may find we need to commit to how many hours a week we spend online. Or perhaps make a commitment to spend time face-to-face with one person each week you would normally only interact with over the internet. I’ve made a commitment to look over the content of my Facebook and Twitter postings each week to make sure I’m saying more about God than about myself. I desire for people to be edified by what I post, and that won’t happen if it’s all about me, myself and I.

5. Be jealous. Flavel observed, “He who will keep his heart must have the eyes of his soul awake and open upon all the disorderly and tumultuous stirrings of his affections [or desires of his heart]. If the affections break loose and the passions are stirred, the soul must discover and suppress them before they get to a height.” In other words, don’t give in easily, stand your ground. Keep your heart like a jealous lover. The world is seeking to entice it, to tempt it, to lure you into sin. Guard your heart with watchful discernment.

This is all the more true online. With the click of a mouse button we can expose our hearts to sexual immorality or grotesque violence. With the typing of a few words we can insult, idolize, or inflame others. Having accountability software (such as X3Watch) can help in this aspect, as can running our words by a friend or spouse before posting them. Because our hearts are prone to wander, and the world is so eager to help us wander, we must find ways to keep our hearts in check.

6. Focus on God. Lastly, Flavel wrote, “When the eye of our faith is fixed upon the eye of God’s omniscience, we dare not let out our thoughts and affections to vanity.” We must realize God’s constant presence and authority in our lives. The root of this is a proper fear of the Lord. “So the Lord commanded us to observe all these statues, to fear the Lord our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today” (Deut. 6:24).

All of the aspects offered here for guarding our hearts help us to focus on God, but there’s a distinct point in this aspect that directs our awareness. We do not live in a vacuum, even when we act through new media. We are not to be living two different lives, but one unified life that is in obedient gratitude to God’s gift of grace. The online world must be a place, just like church, work, and home, where we embrace the presence of God and seek His glorification.

Conclusion
As with every frontier, the landscape of new media is filled with new opportunities as well as dangers. Those who learn to navigate the terrain will reap the greatest benefits. They will find new opportunities to begin and build relationships, evangelize, fight on the front lines against false teaching, and refine their ideas. But they must not go haphazardly. They must heed Jesus’ call to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. They must take care not to cast their pearls before swine. And most importantly, they must do all things, whatever they do, to the glory of God.

Roger Overton is an M.A. student at Talbot School of Theology. He has addressed various churches, schools and youth camps throughout the United States. Roger was co-editor of The New Media Frontier (Crossway, 2008) and God and Governing (Pickwick Publications – Wipf & Stock, 2009). Roger invites your feedback about this article. Feel free to add him as a friend on Facebook and let him know what you think.

notes
¹Rhett Smith, “Navigating the Evolving World of Youth Ministry in the Facebook_MySpace Generation,” in The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ, eds. John Mark Reynolds and Roger Overton (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008), pp. 137-148

² Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press,
1994).
³John Flavel, Keeping the Heart (Soli Deo Gloria Publications,1998), 1.
⁴Ibid., 16.
⁵Ibid., 11.
⁶Wayne Grudem, “Guard Your Heart With All Diligence,” unpublished lecture delivered at Biola University, November 12, 2003.

Recommended Books

Cultural Intelligence: Improving your CQ to Engage Our Multicultural World
by David Livermore (Baker Books)

Amusing Ourselves to Death
by Neil Postman (Penguin).

Technopoly
by Neil Postman (Vintage).

Arts, Entertainment, and Christian Values
by Jerry Solomon (Kregel).

Habits of the High-Tech Heart: Living Virtuously in the Information Age
by Quentin Schultz (Baker Books).

Pop Culture Wars: Religion and the Role of Entertainment in American Life
by William Romanowski (IVP).

Eyes Wide Open: Looking for God in Popular Culture
by William Romanowski (Brazos Press).

Christians In a .Com World: Getting Connected Without Getting Consumed
by Gene Edward Veith and Christopher Stamper (Crossway Books).

(First published in Areopagus Journal Vol. 10 No. 2 – Are We Still Amusing Ourselves to Death?)