All scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
Although Adam and Eve were judged and sent out of the garden of Eden, lest they eat also from the tree of life and live forever in sin, they did not depart from the entrance of the garden. They actually remained there to offer sacrifices unto God continually and also taught their children to do so. They were still enclaved in the presence of God but no longer as close to God as they were before. To a very small extent, they still had joy and found some pleasures before God because in the presence of God there is fullness of joy (Psalms 16:11).
But Adam and his wife could not find so much joy and have such everlasting pleasures as they had when they were still in the garden of Eden; the very center of God’s presence. Because of sin, they were removed far from God, consequently, they became destitute of the fullness of God’s joy and pleasures.
Furthermore, when Cain, their first son, advanced in sin, he became a murderer and a liar. He was then cursed directly by God for his wickedness. As a result of the curse, he became a wanderer and he wandered from God’s presence.
After he was cursed, the Bible says in Genesis 4:16;
“Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and SETTLED in the land of NOD (Wandering), east of Eden.” (Emphasis added).
Now, from the account of Cain, we see that whoever leaves and abandons the presence of God becomes a wanderer. It may appear that the person is settled, but such a person is only settled in the land of Wandering. That is, the person continues to wander. There is no place of rest for such a person. They will always continue to labour and be heavily laden.
Additionally, something worthy of consideration can also be seen from the generation of this wanderer. In the account of his own line of generation, we see that after they were now all shut out of the presence of the Lord, completely devoid of the joy of the Lord and utterly deprived of God’s pleasures, they were now preoccupied with everything else except God. They began to invent things that could supply their wants and fill their emptiness. Cain himself began to build a city to make a name for his son. Lamech, the fifth generation after Cain, found another way of getting pleasures which was totally different and against the design of God. He had two wives. One of his children also became the father of those who make musical instruments. Thus, they were all preoccupied with frivolities that they might fill the void in them.
But it is known that none of these things can replace God. There is nothing that can satisfy the heart of man apart from his Creator.
The preacher says in Ecclesiastes 3:11;
“He has made everything appropriate in its time. HE HAS ALSO SET ETERNITY IN THEIR HEART, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” (Emphasis added).
Only the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15), can fill the eternity in the hearts of men. Nothing else can replace Him.
However, in this present time, just like in the time of Cain and his generation, men have also come up with many new inventions to preoccupy themselves. One branch of such is social media. There are many who in order to have pleasures and fill their emptiness spend all their time on social media. They wander on social media devoid of rest and true pleasures. Departing from the presence of God, they substitute many mundane things to provide what they are now deprived of. They are like those whom the prophet spoke about in Jeremiah 2:13, they have forsaken God, the Fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. Abandoning the Fountain of pleasures, they go around building for themselves tanks, even broken tanks that are useless.
Social media should not be totally avoided, for it is not intrinsically evil, just like the musical instruments invented by the children of the first wanderer. However, if it now serves to replace God, it becomes evil. If it is now to distract the mind from God and have oneself preoccupied when one should rather be engaged in profitable things, it becomes injurious.
Social media is addictive. If engaged in too often, one will not be able to do without it. It should be known that the soul of the man was created by God as an addictive personality. It easily becomes addicted to whatever it is given to. It was created by God with the ability to be addicted to God. However, because the devil wants man to serve him and the things of the world, he presents to his soul things other than God and get him addicted to them.
Social media can also bring about mental laziness. When you are using social media, the brain, at that moment, becomes almost passive. This can cause the brain to become dull since it is not actively engaged in something profitable. In addition, the mind can be fed with a lot of irrelevant things, thereby corrupting it. This can also hinder the maximization of the brain and also corrupt a person morally.
It can also make one lazy physically, making such a person a procrastinator. Thus becoming irresponsible and unprofitable to oneself and others.
In summary, it can affect people spiritually – by drawing them away from God and preoccupying them with mundane things. Mentally – by reducing the usage and hindering the maximization of their brain. Physically – leading to laziness and weakness.
Social media should be used, but at anytime you find it replacing and taking the place of God in your life or you find yourself inadvertently getting engaged or unable to do without it, dissociate yourself from it for awhile until you gain control of your will. While you also regulate the content you feed yourself.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:12;
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.”
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