The Thief

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

- John 10:10

There is a thief in my house. A thief that robs me of my time. It promises me peace, happiness, and fulfillment–for a price. It wants “just a minute, maybe 2, or 10,” and then, the afternoon is gone.Y es, there is a thief in my house.

It steals my energy and my joy, leaving me with disconnected relationships and chaos. It says to my precious children, “Not right now, sweetie. Mom’s busy.” It says of the housework, “That can wait.” And it says to my dear, hard-working husband, ”I’m afraid dinner will be late,” and, “Don’t worry, I’ll hand deliver that bill tomorrow,” and, ”I’m sorry. I forgot.”

There’s a thief in my house, and I’ve let it in. That thief is the internet. There, I said it. But, here’s the thing. It doesn’t have to be a thief. If I can tame it, control it, and master it rather than allowing it to have mastery over me, it can be a very useful tool.

“‘All things are lawful for me,’

but not all things are helpful.

‘All things are lawful for me,’

but I will not be enslaved by anything.”

- 1 Corinthians 6:12

So, what’s a mama to do? If I’m going to be obedient to God in my responsibilities to Him, my family, and my home, while also continuing in this ministry of writing online, something has to change. And so, I have new rules:

1. I will not turn on my computer in the morning before I read my Bible.

2. I will do a general email check only twice per day–once in the morning, once at night. 15 minutes each. If a more lengthy response is needed to any messages, I will make a hand written note of it, and tend to it during afternoon rest time.

3. I will not go on Facebook unless the children are in their beds.

4. If I need to use the computer during the day (for example, to print out copywork or look at my checking account balance), I will do so without looking at other websites and will limit myself to 5 minutes. I will set my timer.

5. I will compose all blog posts on paper first, so I can be more involved with my children as I write. I will type out my blog posts during afternoon rest time, after bedtime, or first thing in the morning, before the children wake up.

6. Once rest time is over, I will shut down my computer until after the children are in bed for the night. (*Note: My husband leaves for work insanely early in the morning, and therefore, is usually in bed before the children. If he happens to be awake, this time belongs to him.)

7. Whenever possible, I will call a “real life” Titus 2 friend when I have a question before posting on a message board. I will think three times before entering online conversations. “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger” (James 1:19).

8. When I am feeling overwhelmed, I will take a deep breath, take my supplements, and take my anxieties to the Lord. I will replace “escaping to the internet” with “pray without ceasing.”

Ouch. That was hard. But that’s where I’m at. These rules may need some tweaking over the coming weeks and months, as I bring this area of my life into obedience to Christ, but it’s a beginning.

Do you have internet rules for yourself? What are they?

Your rules won’t necessarily be the same as mine, but we should probably all have them. Life is too short, and too precious, to live it all in cyberspace. I’m stepping back into the real world, and it is good.

About The Author

Tiana Krenz has written 25 articles on this blog.

Tiana is blessed to be wife to Christopher and mother to four young children plus one more at the feet of Jesus. She has a bachelor’s degree in Youth Ministry from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL, which she now “uses” as she brings up her children in the nurture and admonition of the LORD, through home education and discipleship. With God’s help, she is learning more about what it means to be a godly wife, mother, and homemaker each day. Visit her at God Made, Home Grown.

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