1 TIMOTHY 3:16-17

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us...God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work."

Sunday, September 25, 2011

1 CORINTHIANS - Pay Attention!

I wonder what Paul would think about the world we live in.

Would he be on Facebook? Would he have a Twitter account?

Oh, I'd like to hope not.

Paul was single-minded in his pursuit of God, and I'm not thinking that he would tolerate the way social media turns us all away from what's truly important. How technology makes it all too easy to ignore eternity…

Today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" are his very words:

"I want you to be free from the concerns of this life…I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible."
(1 Corinthians 7:32, 35)

Can't you just hear Paul saying the same thing today?

Now I'm not slamming social media per se. I'm just echoing what Paul is saying here. People, we need to THINK about what we're doing with our time.

We live in a busy world. It's full of enticing entertainment, and clever gadgets, and a multitude of ways to pursue gratification, or amusement, or escape. In short, it's a world full of distractions.

And, as believers, we cannot afford to be distracted.

Why not?

Because time is short. Because the message of the Good News is desperately needed. Because we have been given a commission.

"And then he told them, 'Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.'" (Matthew 16:15)

Paul took that commission very seriously. He actually travelled to distant corners to preach the Gospel. Because he knew personally what it was like to be awakened by the Light of the World. He knew the power of salvation. He knew how crucial eternal matters are.

Do we?

The enemy has a thousand (a million? bazillion?) ways to sidetrack us. He's very, very good at it. He does NOT want us to serve the Lord. He wants us to worship the world. He wants us unfocused and diverted

But Paul urges us to let go.

To live as unhindered by the cares of this world as we can. To be as free as possible from anything that might keep us from doing God's work.

Yes, it's important to be responsible to our jobs, our homes, and our families.

But oh, we must love and serve God first. Above all else. With no distractions.

So, let's take today and re-evaluate our lives, and think about how we spend our time.

Let's ask some tough questions.

Are we allowing ourselves to be consumed by the things of the world? Have we gotten sucked into the social media web? Do we spend too much time on our computerswatching TVplaying with *apps* or texting on our phones?

Are we wasting time?

Paul admonishes us, warns us.

If he was here today, I think he'd say something like this, "Make the most of the time before Christ's return. Life is short! Don't allow yourself to be preoccupied with the world."

Every person in every generation should have this sense of urgency about telling the Good News to others.

It is the ONLY thing that matters in the long run.

Thanks, Paul – we needed the reminder.


Do you need to take another look at how you spend your time?


(I am linked today with Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays, and Peggy at Soaking On SONday. Please feel free to join me during the week at my other blog, Sharon Sharing God!)


"When in doubt, search God out!"

10 comments:

  1. Blessings Sharon... Ohhh yes, the age of technology. I think Paul would not have liked this so well except if he could further the gospel of Jesus Christ!!! Some people say they do blogs, FB and Twitter(?) as a ministry, and rightly so, it can BE! However, I'm sure Paul would want us to keep a good balance and not allow this *tech stuff* to distract or consume us. Just another way for the enemy to get his foot in the door... and little by little we are conforming more to the ways of the world.

    Well, another well written warning from God's Word with fabulous insights from this Bible pik 'ems... Very timely message! J. Osteen spoke last night (and today) on guarding what we view from TV to internet to FB and what we fill ourselves up with... he made a great analogy to vultures, chickens and being an eagle... not seeking to feed ourselves with 'dead' stuff but look for the stuff that breathes life so it can and will soar... spoke from this verse:
    "The discerning heart seeks knowledge,but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly." Proverbs 15:14
    I don't wanna eat the 'trash' or have my head scrounging for the leftovers... I want God's best and can think of many more ways to share the Gospel, God's way... (course, it's easy telling me this, since I don't do FB or Twitter or even the "follower" gadget though I have many in Google Reader I check and visit as time affords. God can't carry me if I'm loaded down with garbage and junk, filling my head, and temple with 'gossip' and other non-essentials.

    Thanks for your sweet words and joining me again. Trusting Him to carry us to greater heights like the eagles (with the eagles)

    Soaking and resting today,
    Peggy

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  2. Saw this right after I left here:
    Verse of the Day
    Sunday September 25 2011

    "Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth."
    Psalm 124:7-8'

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  3. thanks, Sharon. We needed that reminder. I appreciate you candor and bold honesty here. I trust your heart. You speak with Godly authority. I love how you think - speak and write. I always appreciate your comments too. Yes, I think God is speaking the same things to many of us. We have become an overindulged society - leaving little room for God to even speak into our circumstance. Jesus said Be STILL - and know that I am God. Also, My sheep HEAR my voice. With all the distractions going on within and without our head - we have to purposely be intentional about being STILL in His Presence - to HEAR HIS VOICE. I think that God is calling us to move in closer - to hear His whisper above the noise of TODAY. He hasn't moved away. He is still right in our midst - but he is calling us to come closer - to know Him more fully!

    Thanks again for your thoughtful post. I surely appreciate you!

    Blessings Patrina <")>><

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  4. Your words from Paul really hit the mark. Today's life's distractions are so real and so many. Thank you for something to think about and pray about.
    Blessings, Jeanne

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  5. So much technology in our world. I just ask God to help me use it for Him instead of wasting time or using it for evil. A good reminder.

    Blessings,
    Pamela

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  6. Great words of wisdom from Paul and you. I tried Facebook because a cousin asked me too and I felt the need to try and get to know her, but it didn't happen that way. I met some people I had emailed with and even sent cards to their mother's several years ago but I could not take all the other mundane "stuff" so I was there only 3 days. Blessings, AE

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  7. This is certainly something we should think seriously about. I know I spend too much time on the computer. It really is addictive. On the other hand, I think we can use technology to help get the message of Christ to other people. That has been the goal and the reason Ginger and I started the Spiritual Sundays blog. I think balance is the key. You are right though. All this technology can certainly distract us from the really important things in life. Thank you for sharing.
    Blessings,
    Charlotte

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  8. thanks for sharing this reminder. indeed we can so easily be distracted by so many things. although i don;t have a facebook account, i have many friends who use facebook to reach others about the good news so i believe that facebook and twitter can be good too if used properly. blessings!

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  9. A good, needed reminder, Sharon. Social media has changed over the years, increasing in its witness in my life. Over the past year, I've been grateful for the many on-line connections I have, because I've lived an isolated existence. That being said, it's now time to back away from it some and get on with the one thing that is most important to me--sharing the love of Jesus with others. I've yet to really know what that will look like. I feel so limited some days, but I do know that I don't want to spend all of my time behind a computer screen and not physically seeing, touching the lives of those around me.

    Accordingly, I rarely turn on my computer before 11:00 in the morning, and I no longer blog more than twice a week. As for facebook, don't get me started. I have a twitter account, but I think I've tweeted 10 times in the last year. It's just all too much.

    I'd rather have coffee with you, K?

    peace~elaine

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  10. Awesome post Sharon, it goes right along with what I posted a couple day ago on my blog.

    “…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power…” (2 Timothy 3:4b-5a)

    I pray you have a blessed weekend,
    Ken

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"So I have been greatly encouraged in the midst of my troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives me new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How I thank God for you!"
(1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!