30 Jun, 2008
Stop fighting!
Student fights posted on web site
Last year, modern technology got four South Jersey students in big trouble.
Four children, ages 11 to 13, were charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly videotaping a fight and then posting it on a popular Internet site.
The video showed two children viciously kicking and punching each other and a group of other kids cheering them on. Another video showed two other kids doing the same thing.
The video was placed on the Web site MySpace.com, a site for teens where they place their pictures and personal information.
Police said the kids in one video were seventh-graders at Lumberton Middle School. The two others were in the same age range at other area schools. They all appeared to be willing participants.
Police said a parent of a Lumberton student got wind of the video and told a school official, who then told police.
None of the kids in the video were seriously injured. Officials at Lumberton School district said that they have and will continue to foster Internet safety for children and parents.
photo courtesy images.google.com & story nbc10.com/news, 6/28/07
James 4:1-3 (NLT)
Warning Against Worldliness
1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about the reason for quarrels and fights?
Perhaps James should have logged on to MySpace with the kids who posted their fight online.
James is writing today's scripture to followers of Christ. He makes it real simple. Quarrels between believers are always harmful and come from the evil desires within us.
There were lots of evil desires being expressed by the kids who went wild and displayed their quarreling on MySpace.
We often let our self-centered passions go wild, don't we? When we focus on worldly values like possessions, money, status, power and popularity, we develop an attitude that is anything but Christ-like.
Then we drag these attitudes into our friendships, families and churches. When we don't get our way, we quarrel and fight. Even if we don't throw punches, we often throw hurtful comments and display actions that are just as crazy!
So what do we do? James says we need to pray with the right motives. Rather than selfishly reaching for what we want, we must reach out to each other with Godly attitudes and actions. This will happen when we surrender our way to God's way and trust Him to give us what we really need.
Abiding in Christ means we focus on Him, face to face. This will result in a passion for Jesus and compassion for others.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Talk to God right now. Confess any part you have had in a quarrel or conflict with another person. Ask God to give you the humility and courage you need to go to that person and ask for forgiveness. Ask God to help you surrender your passions to His desires for you. Thank Him for empowering you to do your part to get along with His family and encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ.
- Pray every day for God to help you focus on His plan for you rather than your plan for pleasures. Then YourSpace will give way to Jesus.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- If you've been "fighting" with someone in your youth group, church, school, work place, or family - take the first step to make the relationship right again. Remember that it's better to do this face to face rather than online.
- Send an email of encouragement to a friend or family member who needs Jesus.
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