Thinking Biblically About Facebook

Some excellent thoughts on Facebook from Pastor Justin Buzzard. (adapted from his notes.)

Thinking Biblically About Facebook

9 Potentially Negative Uses/Dangers of Facebook

1. The trend of using status updates to complain
2. Measuring your worth/identity by number of Facebook friends/Facebook interactions. - Facebook measurements are opposite of gospel measurements
3. Greater concern over forming Facebook (virtual) friends rather than real friends
4. Diminishment of face-to-face time with people/enjoying and working on real relationships. - Disengaging from face-to-face time with people to check what's going on in your Facebook world
5. Dual identities - Being someone online who you’d never be in person
6. Hurting and excluding others (intentionally or unintentionally) - "Favorite friends" application. - Not being invited somewhere. - Without this technology you wouldn’t have known, or at least wouldn’t have known in the same way. - “Is he talking about me?. - “She wrote on her wall, but never writes on mine…"
7. Facebook and online life can make you more distracted, changes how you think/attention span
8. Can tempt you away from your calling/work- Your heart isn’t engaged in something great and big, but constantly distracted by silly little status updates ("I'm chewing gum") and Wall writings…
9. Thinking about yourself more than you already do. - You weren't created to think about and focus on yourself. Facebook can tempt you to become a more self-focused person than you already are.

6 Ways to Love God and Love Others Through Facebook

1. Can get back in touch with old, far-away friends in an easy way, showing them how you’ve been changed by Jesus.
2. Can use Facebook as an extension of face-to-face relationships/can be used to enhance time with people. - Get to know people better/better love and care for people when you're with them because through Facebook you know more about who they are and what’s going on in their life
3. Can use Facebook to think about yourself less and others more. - Facebook can be a tool for getting outside of yourself/your problems
4. Can use Facebook to sharpen/discipline what you do with your time. Status updates and built in accountability
5. Can use Facebook to quickly announce/make great things happen: events, face-to-face time. - Instead of taking 45 min. to call 10 people to come over for a spontaneous evening of fun and fellowship, use Facebook
6. Can use Facebook to influence other people for Jesus. Create a new culture with your status updates: use to influence, love, encourage, teach, and challenge people towards greater love for God and other people.

(thanks to Justin Taylor.)