“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (II Corinthians 6:17-18)
I am a technophobe. Me and computers do not get along very well. We live in peaceful co-existence and “détente”, but it is a very tenuous peace. I could lose it at any time and launch an offensive that would de-commission my system. It’s not that I am dumb, in fact it is the opposite. I tested out at a 140 IQ in school. That is part of my problem with computers – I can’t just accept stuff as is, I want to tear it apart and know why. I think it through too much. I got behind the power curve on computers when the technology exploded, and now I can’t catch up. I have too many other things going on to invest the time in really learning how to handle this stuff, so I muddle along using just the bare minimums to get by. Most people are like that in life. They do only what is absolutely necessary to survive. That is why they never get ahead at work, why their family lives are hanging by a thread, why their finances are in disarray, and most importantly, why they never accomplish anything of eternal value in service to Jesus Christ.
I have two computers – one at home, and one at the office at church. Vicki has a laptop, a home computer, and she just recently got an I-Pad. All of those computers are hooked up “on-line” except my home computer. I refuse to use it for anything on the internet. I will transfer things via flash drive or get on line with Vicki’s home computer or at the office. But my personal unit at home will not ever see the light of Al Gore’s invention, and that is by design. With all the viruses and other nonsense we get exposed to on line, I want my computer at home to be used for my documents – period. You might think that is weird, and you are probably right. Weird is a good description of me on virtually every plane of life. But I bought that computer in 2004. It is now 7 years old, which is 49 in dog years, and about 490 in computer years. It still works just as good as the day I unpacked it. I learned the word processing package and I am very comfortable in how it operates. The new systems have all sorts of “re-design” issues – some good, but some of them not necessary. I know Word 2003 on my home system. The new programs are compatible and I can work in that format on any of them. Someday my home system might shoot craps and I will have to get a new one. But for the last 7 years, it has worked just fine specifically because I have kept it separated from the world of computer viruses and “new” stuff the world has to offer it. I am trusting God for at least another 7 years with it.
Our lives need to be separated from the world like my computer is. Now when I say that, there is a very delicate balance involved. Too many believers get so separated that they lose all possible influence for Christ. I still use my computer to get the gospel out. I prepare messages using it, I post video and audio from my teaching and preaching, and I am using it right now to write this blog. I will get on line with my office computer, and transfer files from each using a flash drive. But my home computer is protected because it is “off line”. Most of you can probably be fine trusting Norton or some other protection. If you did catch a little “bug”, you are adept enough to de-bug. But I am not. My solution is to reboot with a .44 Magnum. Many Christians cannot function properly for Christ in this evil world because they cannot handle the “bugs”. I can walk into a bar and not be affected, but a recent alcoholic would be. Each person needs to know what areas of life they need to have shielded, and take appropriate steps to do so.
If you have areas of your life that are susceptible to the virus of sin, guard them. Solomon said, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) This world will chew you up and spit you out. Guard your heart. If you need to go “off line”, do so. But don’t ever stop using your life to preach the gospel.
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