March 14
“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)
On March 10, 2016 an article appeared on the PC Magazine website (www.pcmag.com) entitled “The Best Parental Control Apps for Your Phone.” They outline several choices for apps that restrict internet access on Android smart phones. Some of the apps would cover multiple devices with one subscription price. The prices seemed to me to be very reasonable, some about $50/year. This is a very small price to pay for protection from exposure to pornography and evil.
I view these types of devices as “belt and suspenders”, as a fence to prevent us from going to websites that will make us stumble. They are necessary for young people and for anyone who has or thinks they may have any weakness at all when it comes to viewing porn. These types of filtering programs can be annoying, as they sometimes block legitimate sites that we want to visit. But these are minor annoyances compared to the benefit of blocking pornography for those who are easily enticed by it.
Some might think that they are immune to such temptations, or that they may reason that a truly spiritual person shouldn’t have to have training wheels to keep them from falling. But the simple fact is we are all tempted in many ways, and an attitude of invulnerability coupled with easy, instant access to evil can lead to some serious stumbling and even addictions being formed. Some of us may be very strong at certain times or seasons of life, but then we enter periods of tiredness or loneliness or a season of difficulty and persecution, and we can be much more prone to stumbling.
Don’t assume that you, your kids, or your family members are responsible and would never view pornography. Praise God if they wouldn’t, but I have been surprised how pornographic images can appear in searches that have nothing to do with pornography. And in the surprise and shock, curiosity can entice us to view more, and before we know it we have immersed our minds in defiling images of evil that linger and cause us to stumble for weeks or even years afterwards. It can easily be addicting, and before we know it, we are trapped in a desire to view more and more.
Evil is everywhere today, and internet access must be guarded. Don’t assume that you and your loved ones are immune to the enticing allure of evil. I highly recommend some type of software that will protect you and limit your access to pornography. Ask someone you trust who is not tempted by these things to monitor you and control your access. Make certain that any search engine is set to “safe” mode, and do whatever you can to ensure that those who are weak do not have the ability to turn off “safe” mode.
You may need to humble yourself to ask someone to help you with this. You may be ashamed to admit that you need help in this area. DON’T BE ASHAMED TO ASK SOMEONE TO HELP YOU. Admitting weakness in this area and asking for help is infinitely better than struggling alone and failing. Find someone you trust. Don’t take the chance with evil. Take whatever steps are necessary to limit the internet access of anyone in your life who might be susceptible to this, starting with yourself.