You can never really get enough of what you don't need.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Luke 12:34

If it wasn't evident in my last post, I have recently had a falling out with technology. Mainly the Internet. There is just so much out there that isn't worthy of our time, yet we still seek those things. We, as a generation, still try to get our fulfillment from how many likes we can get on a Facebook status, or how many Twitter followers we have, or what celebrities tweet us back, or from an inappropriate email conversation with a friend. There are a million ways to get in trouble on the Internet and more and more are popping up everyday.

When I think back to the time in my life that I was not only following God, but also really feeling, loving and hearing God, it was when I was actively involved in Student Ministries at Williamsburg Community Chapel. I was a small group leader for a group of senior high school girls. I cherished those girls and the time spent with them engaging God. More often than not, I learned about who God was through them instead of vice-versa. Anyway, in order to support them, small group leaders had to attend the student sermons on Sunday mornings so we could be active in their lives. This is time that I will forever be grateful for. I learned so much through the leaders of student ministries, and somehow, even though I was in college, the lessons taught there still very much applied to my life. 

Thus, I sought the Chapel's infinite wisdom, and they still managed not to let me down. Travis spoke about how technology affects our relationships, which is exactly what I am currently struggling with. Technology itself is morally neutral, meaning it's how we use the technology that is the problem, not the actual technology. I'm not suggesting technology is bad because in many instances, technology can be beneficial to our spiritual lives, as well as, education, etc. To connect technology to the Bible, Travis related it to Jesus being tempted in the desert. In Matthew 4, God led Jesus to the desert, and Satan tempted Him in three ways: to be self-centered, to push His spiritual boundaries, and to seek fulfillment outside of God. Ultimately, technology offers the same temptations. We can use it to satisfy what we are hungry for (friends, sex, drugs, attention, etc.), we can use it to step outside of the boundaries of God and find inappropriate content, or we can use to seek personal fulfillment (even though this will never fulfill us). As U2 says, "you can never really get enough of what you don't need."

So what do we need? Primarily, we need a relationship with our God. Secondarily, we need a relationship with those around us.  These are the things that make a difference, and sometimes technology can hinder these two essentials. Relationships are the ultimate satisfaction. Our time with technology is only as good as how it helps us engage God and those around us.  The most interesting part of Matthew 4 that I found was that God led Jesus to the desert. He led Him to be tempted by Satan. Why? Simple: God tests our character to strengthen us. He tests it to see us succeed and to rely on His word, power and mercy to become better people. In contrast, Satan tests our character to destroy us. And at any given moment, temptations can arise that can be simultaneously from the Creator and the  Destroyer. It's in the test that we find our character.

This week I gave up Facebook. It was personally hurting me, and I did not know how else to handle it. Will I reactivate it? Maybe. But I have to be wise in how I let it affect me. Philippians 4:8 says this:  "Finally, brothers and sisters, 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."  Are things I see or do on Facebook true? Are they noble or right or pure? We are not only encouraged, but commanded by Paul to think about things that are pure, lovely, admirable, and excellent. This needs to be a personal filter in our technology usage. This needs to be a personal filter in our lives.