Contentment, the Internet, and Marriage

The internet has been a huge problem for me for quite awhile. Sure, I was able to hide all the time I spent idly roaming the internet by doing mad cleaning dashes before my husband came home. Or by sending the kids out to play so I could get my facebook and forum time without any little witnesses to tattle on me.

Not only was the internet a huge time waster that took me away from duties as a wife and mother, but it also robbed me of my contentment . As I hopped from blog to blog, and inserted myself into the virtual lives of other people, I began to compare my family to other families.  As I saw what other large, homeschooling families were doing, I started becoming bitter against my husband. Why can’t he take us to Argentina and we can live in tents and preach the gospel to the natives? He must not love God enough.  I would ask myself. Why can’t we live on a farm and make our own soap and wear calico dresses and sell vegetables on the side of the road? He just isn’t adventurous enough.

Homemakers of today have to deal very strongly with the temptation of the internet. In 1 Timothy 5, when Paul is talking of young widows, I believe these verses can be aptly applied to us homemakers:

“Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. ¹⁴So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. ¹⁵Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan."

With the instant access of the internet, we can go “from house to house” without ever leaving our chair. We can become idle as we live life through other people. Notice, that this is not a ‘small’ sin. Paul says that women who do those things have “already turned away to follow Satan.” That should be enough to get the attention of any woman who claims to love the Lord.

So, I’ve chosen to bite the bullet and get rid of that which causes me to stumble. Perhaps in a year or so, I can come back, a better wife and mom and blog all about it. But not today.

1:36 PM - Jun. 30, 2009 - post comment

I will miss you...

I am not a blogger or really even an internet person. I only read yours and one other. I found you one night doing a vbac search. Your blog has really encouraged me. I am a Christian, homeschool mom, from the south, politically conservative, struggle with weight and depression. I will be praying for you. Just don't think that all of your blogging has been a bad thing. God really did use it to encourage others! Blessings!

Anonymous - 7:14 PM - Jul. 2, 2009

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