1) Air private grievances. Resist the worldly temptation to craft a Facebook post, a Tweet, or a blog and air what should be settled in private. Resolve your conflicts in a personal and private way.
2) Keep IM tools open. Skype, Google Chat, and Facebook’s chat feature can be handy tools. They can also be dangerous avenues to improper opposite sex relationships. Use them with discretion and only turn them on for a planned and purposeful conversation.
3) Advance questionable theories. Just because it’s online at an official looking news site, doesn’t mean it’s news or even a plausible theory. Research a conspiracy theory well before you post. Christians have a responsibility to uphold the truth, even about those with whom they disagree.
4) Post personal, distasteful, or questionable pictures. Two congressman, one from each party, have resigned because they posted inappropriate pictures of themselves on social networks. Remember that if its online, it’s public.
5) Swear. I’m amazed at how many Christians feel free to use offensive and foul language on Facebook and other social networks. They live under the false assumption that only their friends can see. This will always come back to haunt and it’s important to remember that ultimately God sees it all.
6) Find sexual satisfaction. Pornography is a cheap and commitment-free trap that ultimately leads to addiction and away from God’s desire to bless husbands and wives with shameless and wonderful intimacy.
7) Surf without accountability. Sin lurks inside the heart of even the most disciplined followers of Christ. Which is why the accountability of a ministry like Covenant Eyes is a good safeguard for online moral purity.
8) Find relational satisfaction. Online tools are great pathways to genuine human relationships, but they are no replacement. Every significant relationship demands face-to-face interaction and real discipleship must involve offline time and real-life situations.
9) Spill your guts. Keep a good boundary between your personal life and your digital life. You don’t need to share everything online. Only what edifies those who follow. You can be authentic without being crass.
10) Project a different you. It’s easy to make yourself more noble or even more nasty than you are, to build a platform and grow in fame. Let the Holy Spirit’s soul-work do the talking.
