Don’t be fooled. Huge amounts of information are coming at you constantly online, and some of it is from people who may not be truthful or have the best intentions. Beware of the cheating that occurs online, from people plagiarizing others’ resumes and obtaining fake academic degrees from online “universities,” to illegally copying digital music, photos, e-books, and other copyrighted content. Understand that individuals may be lying about their names, ages, and location when communicating online, and that businesses may be misrepresenting the facts about products they sell through their websites. Pray for the discernment you need when evaluating the information you get online. Check sources and references.

Don’t fool yourself. Examine your motives each time before you go online so you can clearly and honestly understand why you’re thinking and acting the way you are – and avoid deceiving yourself by letting your online experiences shape you instead of vice versa. Do you want to log on to a social networking site just to engage in interesting conversations, or to make yourself feel popular by adding names to your buddy list, even if they’re not all genuine friends? Do you find yourself visiting websites devoted to topics that you say you don’t really care about? Remember that your surfing patterns often reveal the true desires of your heart. How much time are you really spending online? Are you online when you should be doing something else, yet find it hard to cut back? Before sending a message to someone online, read it and consider if that’s what you really intend to communicate, or if you’ve written something in haste or anger that you’ll regret later.

Be careful at work. Take a hard look at the ways you use the Internet at work as well as at home. Remember that doing great work isn’t an excuse for using work time to surf the Internet in inappropriate ways. Talk with your boss about exactly how you should and shouldn’t be spending your time online on the job. Don’t cut into your productivity by spending time during the workday on frivolous activities like doing online shopping, playing fantasy sports games online, or surfing through celebrity gossip sites. Avoid visiting sites that could get you into trouble at work, like those that relate to gambling or pornography. Ask yourself: “What would happen if my boss or other company leaders knew everywhere I surf online, and for how long? Can I defend my actions?”, “What if my pastor, spouse, or trusted coworkers discovered my actions?”, “Will I view my surfing habits as positive or negative five years from now?”, “Are my actions honoring to God?” and “Is my behavior helping or hurting my company?”.

Refresh your values in cyberspace. Reexamine your offline beliefs (those you follow in the real world) based on the Bible. Compare and contrast your online and offline thoughts and behaviors. Discuss this with some people you trust. Then establish a renewed list of values and behaviors for online life.