Don't Waste Your Interneting

Here is a topic that I have to wrestle with everyday. I sit down at my desk at the church and there is a stupid laptop sitting in front of me. It isn't a fancy one just basic and simple like any pastor's computer should be. But it is connected to a high speed internet. At my fingertips the whole world is available. From sermons and free online bible helps to funny videos of people getting hit in the crotch with whiffle balls and everything in between.

It is bizarre to me that on days that our connection is down the whole staff grumbles with the thought, "what are we going to do?" As if our internet is a highway to God and without it we cannot commune with him. Or, "we can not work without it" is a more justifiable excuse yet what do we really need to accomplish? Data entry? Responding to emails? Communicating with those we serve? Can't that be done in less time with less distractions?

I believe that this is something that I struggle with... How can I sit in front of a computer with the internet and not waste my time? How can I log on and not spend extra minutes perusing? Extra time surfing? Extra time wasted?

But this isn't just my struggle. My heart breaks for my students that spend countless hours online. They log on to AIM or myspace of facebook and just surf and surf and surf. Minutes go by then hours and before you know it your life goes by man!? I think this is a real problem!

And another calamity is how many people have an online profile that completely twists their self image. They portray themselves to be or at least to communicate exactly what they want others to know.... namely, I am fun, and cool, and hip, and trendy, and good looking. And it distances us from the real world. We have a cyber image that we are struggling to live up to. Or, we just make ourselves look very interested in worthless things. I am ashamed at how many people I know have so many images of themselves "wasted" or "lit up" or "high" or "partying". It breaks my heart. Especially when I see my students' pages like that. As your pastor let me just say it how it is... that isn't cool. I might not be the coolest person but I can tell you that trying to look like you swear and drink and sleep around has never been and will never be cool.

But back to the initial question. How do you spend any amount of time with a computer without surfing the web to pointless things? Here are a couple suggestions that I have for myself and you:
1) Have a purpose
2) Set a time limit
3) Take breaks from the computer
4) Stay away from sites that cause you to wander(if you don't have a purpose then you are simply wasting time looking around)
5) Pray before you log on (how many of us have asked God to direct our time on our computers? I would venture to say hardly any)
6) When you do surf keep it to several sites that you know are good and life giving.