I was reading an online devotional today about getting alone with God in quietness.  It caught my attention because I’ve been thinking about that subject, and we’d also just discussed it at our fellowship.  Here’s what I posted on the topic: 

When I got saved in 1984 there weren’t as many distractions as there are today, but even so, I would often feel God telling me to turn off even the car radio and be still.  It was during these quiet times I grew and grew in my walk with God.  With facebook, texting, laptops, cell phones, ipods etc… it’s like people have no quiet time.  You can’t even spend time with someone to have lunch or whatever, without them being online or texting at the same time.  How much quiet time are we really giving to God if we’re that obsessed with all this stuff?  It’s crazy!  I know God is telling me to “come away” from the distractions and spend time with Him.  It’s like in Pilgrim’s Progress where the world is represented as this carnival that’s calling out to Christian from every corner with the intent of getting him distracted and off the path as he heads to the Celestial City.  There’s a lot of things to distract us, and unless we purpose to be still and alone with Him, it’s not going to happen.

I’ve been reluctant to get involved with Facebook, blogs, ect., because the internet is already taking so much of my time. I’d like to connect with the Body of Christ here, and also share the things He’s called me to share through my music… but I can really see how all this can rob me of my time with God. Here’s a post that I wrote recently on another persons blog about that…

“All I know is that being online is sucking huge amounts of time out of my life… time I used to spend with Jesus. Thank God there was no internet when I got saved! I would have been exposed to so many ideas I would probably have ended up a confused, faithless, mess. As it was, I just had my bible and plenty of time to think and read. I also had plenty of time to walk and talk to God. I seriously believe God is telling me to just “come away” from all this mess, as Keith Green sang about… and be with Him. All this connectivity may be robbing us of the greatest connection of all.”

I honestly believe that. We have the most awesome means to fellowship, and tell the world about Jesus through these sites, but I don’t think God’s gonna be too happy if social networking takes the place of time spent with Him.