Media and Our Walk with God

I've decided to participate in the Women Living Well Media Monday series.  Courtney has an eight week schedule planned, the first of which is entitled Media and our Walk with God.

The past week I've been mulling over this topic and trying to decide how I wanted to address it.  While I'm not afraid to discuss my faith with people, I do feel like it's a little more personal for me.  For some reason I'm not entirely comfortable shouting it from the rooftops like others are.  I'm going to say something here that may be a little controversial.  I sometimes think that some people shout it but I wonder if they are living it.  It's a little like PDA within a marriage.  Sometimes it's the weakest marriages that have the biggest public displays of affection.

Well - I've thrown that out there and you can stop booing me now.  I truly think that there are a lot of honest bloggers out there sharing their faith and are living that faith.  Those are not the people that I'm talking about.  What I think the media, social media specifically, does is it allows an opportunity for anyone to say anything without any ramifications.  Their words are thrown out there into cyberspace allowing them to be who they would like to be, not who they are.  (Hang with me, there are positives towards the end of the article.)

How many of us get e-mails or postings on Facebook saying "If you love God you need to forward this or post this".  Really?  When I get up to the Pearly Gates is St. Peter going to look me up and say "Sorry - you never re posted that you loved God so you aren't welcome here".  How about "Wow, come on in.  You really said a lot of great things about God on Facebook.  Who cares that you were rude, careless with other's feelings, selfish, etc". 

How many television evangelists are out there preaching about God and telling us how we should live but are themselves living in palatial residences, spending money to glorify themselves while having mistresses on the side. 

What about the Facebook relative who is constantly posting how much she loves God,  how often she goes to church and what a pious life she lives while doing drugs and creating so much unwarranted drama in her family (and then bashing them online).  Do people look at those posts and think "Hmm, I'd like to be a Christian because they are such nice people". 

All I'm saying is that, in my opinion, there are a lot of opportunities to turn people off of God by talking the talk but not walking the walk.

Now, on the flip side.  Wow!  How fortunate for us that we live in a day and age where it's possible to reach people in all parts of the world in seconds.  Women today are able to make so much more of a worldwide difference than any other era in history.

I've been following Kristen's journey at We are That Family, what a difference she is making for those pregnant girls in Africa.  20 years ago it would have been much more difficult for her to have the impact she is having today.  Then there are blogs like http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ who are offering ideas on how to financially strengthen their family.  Let's not forget Courtney at Women Living Well who is hosting this series and giving us all opportunities to share our thoughts and debate the subject.

Ladies, the opportunities exist for us to spread the Word of God and truly make differences in the lives of others.  It just incredibly important that we are doing it in ways that truly honor God and not necessarily turn others off.

That's my two cents.  What are some of your thoughts?