[Friday's Devotional] - Damaging content

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Phillipians 4:8 [ESV]

 I am fairly ignorant of online pornography; I have seen very little of it. I do not look for it, even for academic reasons, as I don’t want to see people made in God’s image being degraded. The only glimpses I have had of it have happened by mistake when Googling the name a flight crew gave to an aircraft.  Let’s just leave it there. However, despite my ignorance (thank you God) I have been a teacher for ten years and have seen the damage that online images can do to young people.  I have seen young peoples’ perceptions of themselves and others damaged by online images; their use of language and imagery changed by it.  I have seen pupils huddled in groups in the school yard, looking keenly at a phone that is quickly clicked off when they know a teacher is approaching.  I am full of admiration for parents who seek to make their young people accountable and open about their use of the internet. They are too few.

Studies suggest that up to half of the men that regularly attend church are, at least, occasional internet pornography users. If that is you, find a Christian man that you can trust and pray with and get it sorted.  Bring to the healing light of Christ and make yourself accountable to a brother in Christ.

You see, Satan is afraid of the internet.  It has the potential to bring people together.  I don’t just mean Christian people either.  Anything that brings people into genuine community can make people ask questions about things bigger than themselves and point them to Jesus. Satan will seek to use the internet to feed people’s selfish and inward looking desires. He will try and use it to keep people isolated and ashamed or feed worse desires in people. The good news is though that Jesus is Lord and not Satan.

For prayer…  Pray your use of the internet that Jesus will keep you from temptation. Pray the same for those that you love and for any that you know are using the internet darkly. Pray that Jesus is king as you and others use the internet.

… whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4: 8 [NIV]

John Martin-Jones