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LESSON 11

CHANGE IN SPIRITUALITY

Devotional Reading: Job 31:1-10
Topic For Adults: Keep Your Heart With All Diligence
Topic For Youths: Watch Where Your Attention Goes
Topic For Intermediates: Don’t Allow Your Eyes Or Finger Tips To Lead You Astray
Lesson Scriptures: 1 Cor. 15:33-34; Gal. 3:1-5; 2 Tim. 4:10-11; 1 Jn. 2:15-17; Matt. 5:27-28; Eph. 5:3-7

Memory Verse

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23) NKJV.

BACKGROUND

Social media has become a daily necessity bringing convenience, contact and comfort to our personal, interpersonal, social, domestic and occupational lives. Although many view it with a negative mindset, there are a lot of benefits to be derived from its use. This week, we shall examine change in spirituality as part of the evil trends in the use of social media.

NOTES ON THE LESSON

PART 1: DO NOT BE DECEIVED - 1 COR. 15:33-34; GAL. 3;1-5

Deception is anything that can influence or push one’s consciousness from his right mind to something that can carry his or her away from the truth. It is anything that hypnotises you and blindfolds you to what is the truth. Deception can come through various means such as bad company, bewitch-ment, enchantment through unclean spirits, deceitful literature or audio – video contents designed for such purposes. Little wonder, the admonition “Bad company ruins good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33 RSV).

Paul considered it a mark of foolishness to be deceived. Therefore, he sharply rebuked the Galatian Christians upon discovering their inconsistent walk of faith. It is the individual’s responsibility to ensure that he is not deceived. Therefore, we are to guard the loins of our mind and be sober. It is only by operating in our right minds that we can avoid sinning.

From the foregoing, we should endeavour to come to our right minds. We should let the word of God dwell in us richly in all wisdom. The whole essence of this is to guard our mental inputs because as it is in the computer language, GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out), so also it is in our lives. It is what goes into our minds (impression) that determines what shows up in our lives. Input determines output. Let us seek the true knowledge of God and flee every exposure that corrupts or can lead us astray.

PART 2: AVOID PORNOGRAPHIC CONTENTS AND SITES - MATT. 5:27-28; EPH. 5:3-7

Today, surfing on social media avails one the unsolicited opportunity of coming across pornographic contents. The said content just pops up. People can be tempted to indulge in such content and be addicted to it through watching. Pornography refers to materials or content that explicitly depict sexual activities, intentions or themes with the primary intention of arousing or titillating the audience. Allowing this pollution that has permeated social media through visual content (images, videos, live performances, etc.), written content (literatures, magazines, online forums and blogs) as well as digital content (platforms, messaging apps and websites) can lead to masturbation or seeking to please oneself with anything. The consequences are enormous. They include: relational outcomes (damage to relationships, infidelity, trust and intimacy issues), emotional outcomes (Feelings of guilt, shame and self-loathing), physical health outcomes (addiction, depression, anxiety, stress, sleep disturbances, social withdrawal and isolation) and spiritual outcomes (separation from God and if unchecked, eternal death). This was why Jesus said, “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28). The windows or passages to our heart are our eyes and ears, whatever goes in through them are registered in our hearts and they control our attitudes and actions. So, “keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). It is important to protect and guide what enters into your heart as it is the source of thoughts, emotions and actions. When pornographic contents pop-up, without looking at it twice, do the following: block the owner of such post, delete or uninstall the App, ignore or close the site immediately. Above all, make a covenant with your eyes not to watch it (Job 31:1), “do not be partakers with them” (Eph. 5:7), “Flee sexual immorality…” (1 Cor. 6:18-20).

PART 3: BEWARE OF BACKSLIDING - 2 TIM. 4: 10-11; 1JN. 2: 15-17

In life, both direction and movement are very important. Movement without direction is tantamount to dissipation of energy. The Bible through the Spirit of God continually encourages us to go forward and upward. “Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward“(Exodus 14:14). It is focus that determines the direction of energy. In our study this week, it is revealed that indiscriminate use of social media has serious negative consequences.

In Leviticus 6:12, it is commanded that “the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.” A situation whereby one’s attention has been stolen by undue consumption of social media will lead to neglect of one’s spiritual responsibilities for we are a kingdom of priests.

Feeding the flesh at the expense of the spirit makes the spirit to grow leaner and weaker for man shall not live by bread alone but every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. Humans operate by habits and these habits are woven gradually until they assume a gigantic proportion which is difficult to break. Therefore, censure your consumption of social media if your focus is to go forward and upward in life.

PART 4: SEEK GOD ABOVE ALL - MATT. 4:3-10; 6:32-33

Every day, we are bombarded with suggestions which come from various angles. To welcome every suggestion without examining them selectively is to live like a fool. Being awake entails having the knowledge of the suggestions that drive your life otherwise, you are asleep and in deep hypnosis. In our passage, we see Satan feeding several suggestions to the Lord Jesus but Jesus never accepted any of them.
It is unwise to refer to your cell phone as a devil. It is simply a handheld device at your disposal to be used according to your nature, desire and decision. So, the place to look for the devil is really in the kind of thoughts you welcome and process. If you have lodged a lot of lustful thoughts in your heart, then the cell phone or any other digital device may well be a tool for the consummation of your illicit desires. So, watch your heart, watch your thoughts. Examine your focus and actions.
The devices we employ in surfing the net and the indiscriminate consumption of social media could be addictive. It is a matter of concern when our attention is stolen by these things and we become less and less able to concentrate in personal conversations or other ways because of unhealthy habits of using social media.
The Lord has warned us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all other things shall be added unto us“. Let us make God our priority and refuse to be a slave of social media. Let the matters of the kingdom occupy our hearts and let them become the fulcrum with which our lives are driven.

CONCLUSION

Social media plays very important roles in our day to day lives with several benefits. However, indiscriminate use of social media portends great dangers. Therefore, let us be wise and take responsibility for our use of it.

SENTENCE SERMON

Social media is very useful but must be used with wisdom and discretion to avoid associated pitfalls.

MORAL LESSON

FOR ADULTS: Your heart is the spring from where all the issues of your life come forth. Pay the utmost attention to it.

FOR YOUTHS: Master your attention and do not allow yourself to be enslaved.

FOR INTERMEDIATES: Learn to control your eyes and hands.

QUESTIONS

  1. What does it mean to be deceived and how can we guard against it?

  2. Discuss any behavioural activity that makes the human spirit to grow leaner and weaker.

  3. Using the computer concept of Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO), explain how the inputs that go into our minds affect our expression or output.

  4. What are the consequences of watching pornography and how can we avoid them?

  5. In what ways can we be enslaved by social media?