Virtual or Real? (Part 2)

virtual-or-real-2Being on the computer is not necessarily sin any more than reading a book is sin. Some people go overboard on book reading and forget to spend time with their children, but nobody talks about that. Excessive time waste is what we eventually regret.

I keep hearing people talk about balance, but that’s wrong. It’s not about balance, it’s about abiding. If we are sensitive to the Spirit’s leading in our lives, we will know what we should be doing every moment of every day. Abide in Christ. Yield to God and ask Him what to do each moment.

My problem is distraction. God might prompt me to get onto the computer, and I write this deep spiritual article that surprises and convicts me. But then other things on the computer call my attention, and without thinking, I go off into cyberspace. That is where my time wastage occurs. Yet even then, I sometimes stumble upon a blog where I’m able to spiritually encourage another mom, and God uses it anyway. But that’s not to justify my distraction. It’s to say that the line is fuzzy, and maybe I was supposed to hop around in cyberspace, or maybe that God used it for His glory despite the fact that I had my priorities wrong.

You know, like the times when you sin by yelling at your kid. But then you go back and apologize, and you end up having a deep spiritual conversation that could never have occurred had you not yelled in the first place. Yeah, like that.

The other thing is, I’ve known moms who hover over their children where they don’t have any space to breathe. If I spent all my days hovering over my children every moment, that would not serve them well. Creativity is developed through solitude, and so are deep thoughts. Children need down time. They need time that is not directed at every moment by their parents.

So when all is said and done, am I living the virtual life or the real life? The answer is both. Because behind my virtual life lies real people. I pray for the people on Facebook. I hurt for them. Those people are real. When I give them encouragement, they are lifted up. My time on the computer is not worthless.

What I must remember is that I must reel myself in, and check in with God from time to time. I can ask, “What do I need to be doing right now?”

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10 Responses to “Virtual or Real? (Part 2)”

  1. Alice Mills says:

    Such a nice balanced response to a topic that tends to invite a lot of judgment. I find myself feeling guilty about the time that I spend on social media. I have to remind myself that it is actually my job now to a certain extent!

  2. Heather Hart says:

    Susan! I have never thought about it this way before, but you are so right. It’s not about balance, it’s about abiding in Christ. About living each moment on purpose. Thanks for that.

    • Susan says:

      So many books mention balance, and it causes people to dedicate equal time to different things that have differing priorities. We need to abide, which sometimes means spending the whole day with our kids, and other days, writing a blog post that will influence others.

  3. Melissa says:

    Every morning before hopping on the computer to work on my blog and go onto social media I pray for God to give me the words and guide my time. Otherwise I know I go off on my own.

  4. Julie says:

    Susan- I enjoyed your thoughts on this! My takeaway from your post is finding balance happens when we are abiding and listening and obeying God’s nudges!

  5. I love that you changed balance to abiding. Very good! I abide in Him and hear His promptings and directions. <3 Thank you for sharing!

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