Social Networking: Integration or Isolation?

Today while lunching with my co-workers we commented on how ironic it is that social networking seems to be creating a network of lonely people. Just a few weeks ago I re-initiated my Facebook profile mainly to connect with family (and a few friends), although I remain ambivalent about this decision. I do appreciate seeing others’ posts, comments, pictures, too; at least most of them (wink).

Stephen Marche’s article “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?” featured in The Atlantic (see here for a good video exchange) opines that “loneliness and narcissism are intimately connected….Narcissism is the flip side of loneliness, and either condition is a fighting retreat from the messy reality of other people.” Marche also states:

Curating the exhibition of the self has become a 24/7 occupation. Perhaps not surprisingly, then, the Australian study “Who Uses Facebook?” found a significant correlation between Facebook use and narcissism: “Facebook users have higher levels of total narcissism, exhibitionism, and leadership than Facebook nonusers,” the study’s authors wrote. “In fact, it could be argued that Facebook specifically gratifies the narcissistic individual’s need to engage in self-promoting and superficial behavior.”

Wowsers! Of course, Facebook is not the only tool used to promote one’s self. Blogging is no small opportunity in the same direction (ugh!).

The first instance in Scripture about loneliness is God’s declaration “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen 2:18). So God made another human to provide the interaction necessary to build a wholesome, relational life full of wonder, joy, mystery, and yes, the possibility of more humans!

Just as man needs woman, people need people. Discipleship that has a lasting effect must be done “in the flesh.” Fellowship that is truly meaningful occurs with real people in real time and in real space without the hinderance of a monitor sitting in between. Granted I have had moving phone conversations and received countless encouragements by reading other blogs, but 1 John opens the way it does for a reason.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.

(1 Jn 1:1–4)

Perhaps this is why the Incarnation of God in Jesus is so profound. Christ is, after all, “Immanuel, God with us.”

All of this speak about the relational fracturing and isolated lives that social networking seems to accommodate reminded me of an email my wife and I received the day before Mother’s Day. It was from some dear neighbors who we quickly learned were also our beloved family in Christ. I would venture to say that no digital connection could ever forge the bond like what we have with our friends. Though we now share only a virtual relationship because they’re living far away, we are thankful to God for the ministry we’ve had to and with them and the blessing they’ve been to us because of our face-to-face engagements.

Soli Deo gloria!

Spiritual or Carnal?

 Why are some “Christians” seemingly disinterested in the spiritual life? Does Scripture support two classes of Christians, carnal and spiritual? How long must I struggle with sin in my life? Consider:

1. Spiritual maturity is always a goal to be achieved, not a quality that we possess (Eph 4:13; Philip 3:12-16). Maturity is a process in you, not a character trait of you. Until we are glorified in Christ’s presence, we live between two tensions expressed in this phrase: “always aspiring but never attaining.” In this life we will always be aware of our sinful tendencies and inclinations (2 Cor 11:29; 1 Tim 1:16; Jm 3:2; 1 Jn 1:8), we will occasionally falter, but regularly seek forgiveness, and gradually grow by the power of God within us. That is the biblical reality of our human condition. We are a work in progress. But, we God’s work that will progress!
2. It follows, therefore, that while it is true every believer has been “washed” and “sanctified” (1 Cor 6:11), it is equally true that every believer is characterized by varying degrees of holiness and sinfulness. Hence, the terms “spiritual” and “carnal” apply in some measure to all of us.

Sin, for those truly born of God, is episodal not habitual (1 Jn 1:8-10; 3:9). In every case where sinful patterns persist, they are always condemned and never condoned (cf., Heb 5:12-14). Therefore, the popular designation “carnal Christian” may be true of genuine believers temporarily but not true of genuine believers indefinitely (1 Jn 2:4). If there is a group of “Christians” who are “carnal/worldly,” Scripture clearly does not support it or see it as the “norm.” It is an aberration from biblical standards (1 Cor. 3:1-4). Although sin never leaves us after regeneration(1 Jn 1:8), we have no excuse for being slaves to sin. What changes after regeneration is our relationship to sin. Before Christ we were dominated by sin, whereas after Christ we are now dominated by the Spirit (Rom 6:6-7, 14, 17-18; 8:12-14; Gal 5:22-24). We have a new master. The Spirit’s domination is not coercive, however, but graciously and lovingly subdues our wills to want to do the things that please God.

Listen to me!

The greatest display of God’s power was not at creation or in the daily sustaining of the universe. God’s power was comprehensively and supernaturally displayed in Jesus’ resurrection. It showed not only God’s ability to reconstitute your material body thus demonstrating his power over your mortal life (Rom 8:11), but the resurrection shows God’s power to wholly refashion the entire immaterial order of the universe thus demonstrating his power over your moral life as well. This is so important for us to realize that Paul asserts “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin…But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:54-56). And so God’s appeal to you is: “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory” (Col 3:1-4, NLT; see also Eph 1:19-20). The same power that raised Christ from the dead is present in you right now to live the life God has called you to live. Christian, do you know who you are?

Taken from my “Our Strength, His Power: Who We Are and Why It Matters“

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith”

Good question! I’ve not yet read the new book by Mike McKinley but from what I’ve seen on the book’s website, I cannot disagree.

HT: Andy Naselli

See also, my series on 1 John.

Why Serve?

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Pt 4:10). 

We reap from others what we sow into their lives. In service we actively and willingly employ our gifts and resources to meet the needs of others so we might train ourselves in the selflessness of Christ. We serve others, not merely because it will meet another’s need, but because it promotes Christlikeness in us.

1. Service strengthens the weak and frees us from resentment. Those whose service is relatively unnoticed know the value of their efforts because every act is an act of “serving the Lord Christ” (Col 3:23-24; see also Deut 13:4). At the end of the day we serve an audience of “One.” Mundane tasks, therefore, become our greatest endeavors because we serve others as if serving Christ himself. And so, when we “do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col 3:17) there’s no chance for resentment to creep in, since what we do is for Christ and not merely for others.
2. Service weakens the strong and frees us from arrogance. Anyone, and especially those in positions of leadership and authority, can easily view their status as more important than it really is, or tacitly permit others to do so. Jesus challenges “greatness” by showing us that the way up is really the way down (Mt 20:25-28). “Greatness” in Jesus’s kingdom is measured by selfless service. Ironically, the terms “minister” or “pastor” originally meant “helper” or “shepherd”, but have come to be seen as a badge of honor or prestige. Yet Jesus cries, “It shall not be so among you!” To be “great” is to live as a servant and vice versa. There’s no room for superiority or conceit among God’s children because there’s only room for one King in the kingdom.
3. Service frees us from the pitfalls of pretense and performance traps. With our singular orientation toward Christ, we serve at the feet of others (Jn 13:14-15) where the only quality that matters is humility. With service we refuse the call to honor or notable recognition (Pr 15:33). Instead, we are free to count others better than ourselves, eager for their success rather than pursuing our own (Philip 2:3-4).
4. Service helps us maintain objectivity and find our “fit” in the Body of Christ (Rom 12:3-8; 1 Cor 12:12-31). In one sense, all of the spiritual gifts are gifts of service, so we no longer need to be in control because “each of us needs all the others” in Christ’s Body (Rom 12:5, NLT).

P.S. Why not post on all-things-Christmas this season? Well, in a sense this is about Christmas. After all, the greatest gift given to us or that we can offer to others is the gift of service. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45).