Perils of Text Messaging for a Christian

Prelude : A brother in Christ has a telephone booth near my house. Many young girls and boys who live in our apartments come to his phone-booth to make phone calls without the knowledge of their parents. They also recharge their mobile phones to avail free text message services. This brother in Christ had a conversation with me and as he knows that I prepare literature tracts, he asked me to prepare a tract which he could distribute to the youngsters and their parents. That conversation is the trigger behind this article.

Perils of Text Messaging

Back during my college days (bachelors), there were no mobile phones. Our common mode of communication were yahoo messenger, emails and even land line phones. When a few of us planned for a get together in any common place, we would just fix a place and a time and we would all meet at the same place at the planned time. We never had any problems in locating each other and I still have fond memories of those days. But then Mobile phones entered our lives and made things very simple for us. Now when we plan to meet someone, we find it impossible to meet the person without the help of mobile phones. There are many uses of mobile phones and there are ofcourse many problems caused by mobile phones. Mobile Phones have been responsible in helping two people to get to know each other; at the same time mobile phones have been responsible for breaking relationships too. This article is written with a purpose to keep our emotions in check and also to help us to use our mobile phones in a wise manner so that we don’t end up tainting our relationships.

Mobile Phones is the greatest poison that can kill two people especially when they are unmarried and of the opposite sex  - A forwarded text message

When I read the above sentence, I first disagreed with the message; but then understood that the message indeed has some truth in it. If the mobile phone is not properly utilized, it can indeed turn into poison and it can hamper relationships. So what are the means by which we can use mobile phones in a better way?

Read on… The following points are applicable to both the sexes.

1)      It is advisable to use mobile phones under the supervision of parents till we finish schooling. Parents should give space to their children and children should also be transparent with their parents on whom they talk with and what they message them.

2)      Phone calls and text messages from strangers should be ignored. Sometimes we might have the curiosity to find out the person, how he/she would look like. But it is good to curb the desire and ignore the person

3)      Avoid sex-ting. Sexting has now become a great entertainment for many men and women. They exchange sex messages through texting and they also feel that it is harmless as they are not actually committing real life sex.

4)      Girls are more vulnerable when they message in the night when they lie down in bed. Most guys use this time to lure the girls to fall for their sexual trap.

5)      Girls also feel good when someone praises their looks and when someone pampers them with romantic words. They often fall for the bait. Similarly Boys also fall for flirting words from girls.  So it is better to draw the line for the words that we use while texting.

6)      Some people use Bible verses as forwarded text messages to create an impression in the minds of people. Then they start getting personal. Any spiritual person will initially trust someone who sends them biblical verses. Nowadays many womanizers are using this technique. Beware of such people.

7)      Don’t become a mobile-phone addict. Test yourself by trying to live without your mobile phone for a day at least.

8)      Use your mobile phones in a useful way and please don't spoil your own life by falling into traps. 

A Mobile Phone is a wonderful Slave; but a very dangerous Master.

-Prason