What Itching Ears Want to Hear

 

I'd like to start with 2 Timothy 4:3-6, which says:

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."

On Friday, I was thinking about the Netflix documentary film called "The Social Dilemma." I haven't seen it myself, since we don't have Netflix, but I have heard that it discusses the dangers of social media and how - based on what we post, like, view, etc. - certain content is then filtered toward or away from us. This then leads to you only seeing specific content, often that with which you agree. For example, if you support or against a certain position on an issue, you will see content that matches your stance.

The danger with this is that it causes a greater rift between people of differing beliefs. Those who lean more toward "X" start leaning further toward "X," and those who lean more toward "Y" start leaning further toward "Y." We start seeing ourselves as so incredibly separated from one another that anyone who leans the opposite direction is seen as a fool. An imbecile. Trash.

Oh, the dangers of this!

Ever since I heard about the documentary a few months ago, I started monitoring what I see on social media. Is what I see all geared toward one specific way of thinking on any specific issue? I haven't seen anything in particular, but I prefer to stay away from discussing certain things online. I did notice a greater preponderance of Bible verses and stories about what God has done in people's lives, but as far as social and political issues - I equally see posts from different sides.

On Friday, I started thinking how it can be with us in church circles, too. If we listen to the speakers, teachers, and sermons that only come from our denomination, who only speak about certain issues (or avoid speaking about certain "uncomfortable" issues), from whom we never feel challenged but only justified...I think people in this boat are floating in dangerous waters.

I'm not saying to be wishy-washy about your beliefs or convictions. I'm saying be open to listen to others. How in the world are you ever going to bring someone to know Christ if the only people with whom you associate supposedly already know Him? How are you ever going to grow, to test your faith and learn more about His great love and purposes for your life if you think you've already reached that perfect "sweet spot"?

On Saturday, I began hearing about people leaving Facebook and Twitter to move to alternate social media sites such as Parler and MeWe. My understanding from those posting about moving to these sites and from reading a few articles about each of them, they both currently have a large right-wing, conservative base of members. Again, I'm going to try to avoid politics here, but I personally had some red flags go up.

If people are jumping off the Facebook and Twitter ships to board other ships with more like-minded people, won't the expansion of division only increase? If people continue to share and bounce their own beliefs off each other, won't they just become more stubbornly adhered to them? Will they only be listening to what their itching ears want to hear?

I have many friends and family members with whom I have the opportunity to communicate on Facebook with whom I wouldn't often otherwise have the opportunity. Many of them have views different from mine. Sometimes it makes me sad. Sometimes my heart hurts. Sometimes I feel attacked because of hurtful, hateful things they say about a specific group or "type of person" with which I might identify. Many times, I go immediately to prayer - for them and for myself. But if I leave - where would be my opportunity to talk with them and to have any level of open dialogue with them? I'm not saying to have conversations through posts that are open to the public, but more personal conversations, one-on-one, even if it be through keyboards and modems, etc. How can I ever hope to change someone's mind, or allow myself to grow, if I'm only hearing what I already believe?

I attend a Baptist church, but I have friends from other denominations and religions. On Friday, I talked to a friend from an Apostolic church. On Saturday, I listened to sermons from a Methodist minister and a message from a friend who is Mormon. Do I agree with everything they believe or say? No. Do I agree with some? Yes. Is there room for conversation? Yes! Did I derive some opportunities for growth from what I heard? Yes! 

It is still my job to test and approve what I hear to see if it matches up with God's word and His character. It is still for me to decide whether I hear truth or not. Satan has a sneaky way of inserting partial truths and tricking people with subtleties. It's not easy to discern truth in all situations, but it's important.

Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Maybe these other social media sites are (or will be) better than the current fare. I understand some people are moving because their views were being censored and deleted. I understand wanting a place to freely express beliefs. Please know that my desire is not to tell people not to try these other sites, nor to condemn anyone who moves to another social media site. (Seriously, how ridiculous would that be - to get defensive about social media providers!) I am merely suggesting that you consider your reasons and the results of whatever your choice may be. Maybe it's considering your participation on any social media site.

This is not meant to be only about social media. There is a bigger theme here.

My purpose in all of this is to implore you to consider the choices you make about what you hear and with whom you interact. Consider whether you are still able to have an open dialogue with people who believe differently than you do. Are you still able to show concern and compassion for them, or do you immediately have a negative impression about them?

As 2 Timothy 4:6 says, we need to "keep [our] head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of [our] ministry."

This, then, is my challenge to you: 

- Consider what you hear and read. Is it all one-sided? Does it all agree with what you already believe? Is is what your itching ears want to hear?

- Consider your mission. If you are a Christian, your mission is to tell others about Jesus, and hopefully lead them to have personal, growing relationships with Him. Are you able to do that? If not, what can you do to make that possible?

Do the work. 

Endure the hardship. 

Do the work of an evangelist. 

Discharge the duties of our ministries.