Being on the computer is not necessarily sin any more than reading a book is sin. People go overboard on book reading and forget to spend time with their children. Then they regret their lives just as much as a computer junky when all is said and done. Book reading can be idolatry just as much as the computer can be. Anything that keeps us from doing what God wants us to do is idolatry.
I keep hearing people talk about balance, but that’s wrong. It’s not about balance. Do you think that if God has called a woman to have an online business, that she should spend an equal amount of time homeschooling her kids, and the same amount of time on business? No, each day is different.
It’s not about balance, it’s about abiding. If we are sensitive to the Spirit’s leading in our lives, we will know what we should be doing every moment of every day. Abide in Christ. Yield to God and ask Him what to do each moment.
My problem is distraction. God might prompt me to get onto the computer, and I write this deep spiritual article that surprises me and convicts me. But then other things on the computer call my attention, and without thinking, I go off into cyberspace. That is my downfall. That is where my time wastage occurs. Yet even then, I sometimes stumble upon a blog where I’m able to spiritually encourage another mom, and God uses it anyway. But that’s not to justify my distraction. It’s to say that the line is fuzzy, and maybe I was supposed to hop around in cyberspace, or maybe that God used it for my good and His glory despite the fact that I had my priorities wrong.
You know, like the times when you sin by yelling at your kid. But then you go back and apologize, and you end up having a deep spiritual conversation that could never have occurred had you not yelled in the first place. Yeah, like that.
The other thing is, I’ve known homeschool moms who hover over their children where they don’t have any space to breathe. If I spent all my days hovering over my children every moment, that would not serve them well. Creativity is developed through solitude, and so are deep thoughts. Children need down time. They need time that is not directed at every moment by their parents.
So when all is said and done, am I living the virtual life or the real life? The answer is both. Because behind my virtual life lies real people. I pray for the people on Facebook. I hurt for them. Those people are real. When I give them encouragement, they are lifted up. My time on the computer is not worthless.
What I must remember is that I must reel myself in, and check in with God from time to time. I can ask, “What do I need to be doing right now?” and expect an answer. Then and only then will I be able to live the way I ought to live and have no regrets.
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