It is late at night. The web is a place to be tempted. Life itself has many temptations. The web has virtual and real dangers. The Bible says, "I will make a covenant with my eyes not to lust after a woman.' Tonight I am writing about discipline. It is a fruit of the spirit; self control. I could ask myself; am I Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired? This spells halt. The web is full of gray areas and gray areas by nature are vague. I am talking about a renewing of your mind. And my mind. Being on the internet is a reflection of our life off the internet. Habits can transcend the medium. If you are addicted to something, the human mind can be very creative on satisfying the addiction.

It is healthy to write in a way that affirms discipline. I am reminded of the story of a monk who took the oath of silence. He was allowed to speak two words a year at the monastery. After a year was up, he spoke to the head of the monastery and said, "Bad food."

The next year he again was led into the office of the head of the monastery. He spoke, "Hard bed." The third year, he was once again brought before the head monk. "I quit." The head monk looked at him and sighed. "It doesn't surprise me. You have done nothing but complain since you came here."

I am talking about a soft heart. The internet is ripe for cynicism and sarcasm. It reflects the culture. It is also a potential haven for healing. There are ways of communication that keep people in touch and can encourage, like cards and Scripture verses set to movies or slideshows.

The other area is accountability. A person alone in a hotel room might be tempted to channel surf, finding late night shows that draw his attention. For some, guilt is implied only if they get caught, not always by the act itself.

In a time where change is sweeping the culture, and values seem as fluid as waves on a beach, self discipline seems old fashioned and out of date. It is not. Being renewed in our minds and not being conformed to this world is not a burden, but a gift. Self discipline is sometimes connected with physical training, but godliness is of more value than this.

Health is certainly important, what we eat, exercise, good rest, listening to our bodies. Spiritual health is also a gift. As a song goes, "Be careful little eyes, what you see....be careful little ears what you hear..."

I want to encourage you that however you use the gift of time (or I use the gift of time), God is a forgiving God. He knows our hearts. More important, we are called to be conformed to the image of God. I pray that my time and yours on this internet will be pleasing to God. I pray that we will have the self discipline not to be on the internet when we should be doing something else. It is a means of communication, whether visual or written. Pray that this medium will be used for good and not evil.

Dear God, I give you the gift of my life to do with as you will. I thank you for the gift of time and the ability to have vast resources of knowledge available through this computer screen. I also confess I have not used this resource wisely in the past. Forgive me LORD. Thank you for helping me to use my time well, including on the web. Give me the freedom to log off the internet so I will not spend one minute more (or a minute less) than you desire.

Thank you for the resource of hub pages as a tool to share, both with other writers and also with those who come across our hubs from outside of hub pages. I ask that I would be a tool for encouragement to those in need. Thank you for the gift of self discipline.

In Jesus' Name. Amen