Earlier this month, Facebook.com, the world’s most popular social networking site, which claims 150 million active users, revealed that it was granting itself permanent rights to every user’s photos, wall posts and other information, even after the user closed his or her account (Facebook backs down, reverses on user information policy). The company’s new terms were as follows: “You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time…(H)owever, you acknowledge that the Company may retain achieved copies of your User Content.”
Wow! Could you imagine every crazy, idiotic, youthful (See: Alex Rodriguez’s steroid explanation), and ill-advised thing you’ve ever posted on your page being archived (kept) forever, never to be deleted? What effect would that have on your future marriage or your future children or your future employment opportunities? The ramifications could haunt you like a criminal record. Needless to say, there was tremendous protest from Facebook’s users, to the point that CEO Mark Zuckerberg decided to temporarily suspend the new policy.
What’s amazing, however, is that there is a far more severe version of Facebook, on which every one of us is posting information on a daily basis. This occurs whether or not we have internet access. What kind of Facebook is this? Our daily lives. And on the day we close our account, that information will not be deleted. If that weren’t bad enough, we will also have to give an account (bear the responsibility) for every word and deed we’ve posted. Yikes!
Jesus said that we’ll all have to give an “account” for the words that we’ve said (Matthew 12:34-37). The Apostle Paul stated that we’ll have to give an account to God for all of our actions (Romans 14:11-12). What’s amazing is that there is far more concern about the effect of what we’ve been posting on this temporary life than our eternal life.
So, what’s the solution to some ill-advised postings you and I have made in this life? Ask God to delete His file by asking for His forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Then, try not to post things that offend Him and that you will regret in the future. As usual, I invite your thoughts.
sending...
Selah and Amen
Bishop Brian,
I somehow came across your website while Googling. (I’m not familiar with your ministry.) I then read the above post re: Facebook and I couldn’t agree more. Just yesterday I deactivated my Facebook account, mostly because it was eating up my study time. (I’m a grad student with a 3.75gpa which I’ve got to keep up.) But I kept feeling led by the Holy Spirit to shut it down because it was just “too much information” released to unknown sources. I thought your comparison of Facebook to God’s forgiveness a brilliant example. I can now TRULY relate. I thank God for His forgiveness and am all the more motivated to avoid offending God, i.e. having less files to be deleted.