That annoying, persistent sound has been going on for days. It’s the sound of a bird (a robin) smashing into our front windows, over and over again. After some research I learned that this strange behavior is quite common for certain breeds of birds, particularly robins in springtime. Apparently, the bird sees its own reflection in the window and mistakenly perceives it as another bird (a threat). In forcefully striking the window, the bird is aggressively attempting to defend its territory from the perceived intruder–in this case, its own reflection. These are known as “territorial window strikes” and they are an irritating, messy, and dangerous behavior. Birds may be seriously injured (fractured bones or bills, head trauma, internal bleeding) or killed by this practice. For homeowners experiencing this problem, there are a number of remedies, the goal being to dull, break up, or otherwise eliminate the reflection on the exterior surface of the window. I am going to try “frosting” our windows. 

In the meantime, I think there are a few good principles to be learned here. 

First of all, we humans are as capable of destructive, dangerous, and hostile “territorial” behavior as our little robin. In situations which trigger the desire to defend our “territory,” we need to tread very carefully and seek wisdom and Godly counsel from those we respect before undertaking aggressive actions.

Second, “reality” is not always what it seems. We must be very careful to find out if threats that we perceive are true, or just a figment of our imagination (or self-projection).

Third, in our efforts to fight off a threat, if we find ourselves “beating our heads against a wall,” we ought to reassess the situation sooner rather than later. It could be that our perspective is way off; either that or our strategy may be dead wrong.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Could it be that those in our culture who are so hostile toward God (thinking He is a threat to them, when instead He loves them) are fighting against their own reflections?

Technology did not suddenly explode onto the scene like a runaway freight train. It was a slow train coming.

We’ve all seen the amazing innovations in consumer electronics over the past decades. Who can even remember the world before personal computers, cell phones, ipods, ebooks, and so forth.  

But behind the scenes technology has been bringing both great expansion and innovation, as well as massive devastation to the businesses that have formed the foundation of our economy for decades. Technology, like the proverbial snowball rolling down the hill, has been silently but steadily rolling along, developing traction, gaining steam and momentum, forming its platforms, expanding its presence, spreading out to the right and to the left, increasing in forcefulness, gobbling up everything in its path. Like an army that destroys a city as it moves through it, leaving rubble in its wake, technology has left untold numbers of traditional businesses in ruin.  

Perhaps more significantly, technology has left traditional business models in ruin. Few industries have been left untouched. Overlay that on top of the nation’s banking and housing troubles, and you can understand why we are now seeing such widespread economic calamity.  

We will survive, and we will thrive. The benefits that technology brings us are truly awe-inspiring, Once our heads stop spinning and we all adjust to the brave new digital world, things will settle down and we will be grateful to have made this transition.   

In the meantime, I think I’ll go curl up with my new Kindle.

Isaiah 43:18-19 – “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

But who’s the one really being deceived? 

The Bible says that all things that are hidden will be revealed. It also clearly states that we will reap what we sow.  

Sow deception and, rest assured, one day you will reap deception. Sow deception and, no matter how smooth or shrewd or “well-intentioned” you may be, one day you will reap what you sowed. Proverbs 16:25 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” 

Deception is never a work of God. It is the tool of God’s enemy, the devil. When we deceive others, we partner with Satan in his scheme to bring division and destruction. 

Deception, in the end, always has a high cost. As surely as day leads to night, deception leads to broken trust and broken hearts, neither of which can be easily restored apart from a divine work of God. 

Deception destroys the very foundations of relationships. To go on with a relationship after a betrayal requires having to literally start over with the fundamentals. Deception bankrupts relationships by emptying the “bank account” of positive “deposits” made over the years. In business, one act of deception can destroy decades of hard and fruitful work by scores of good people who built a solid partnership. 

Deception also destroys reputations. Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” Besides causing resentment, bitterness, and temptation to retaliate, deception ushers in lost loyalty, lost respect for your authority, and lost confidence in your integrity and sincerity. It converts your once trusted name to a question mark, at best. 

Let’s face it, even people like the accused master swindler Bernie Madoff probably did not become a crook all at once. Like the proverbial frog in the kettle, he most likely deceived people a little bit here, a little bit there, until pretty soon it became natural. 

We tell kids these days, “Just say no to drugs.” Perhaps we need to also teach them, “Just say no to deception.”

Maybe that is why I am still uncomfortable with Facebook (as much as I like it).

After years of requests from friends and relatives, as well as personal and professional curiosity, I finally signed up for Facebook and joined the social networking phenomenon. In my opinion, Facebook is amazing—truly a wonder to behold. It’s a one stop place to communicate with your friends, keep up with relatives, express yourself, support causes that you love, exchange photos and messages, build your own personal global community, and much more. Facebook is not just a social networking site, it is a revolution. It is fun, interesting, and exciting—a world of endless discoveries, thrilling reunions and reconciliations, captivating experiences, and unlimited self-expression.  

Yet, from what I have seen, it is also a place where smart people forget about normal, healthy boundaries. Out of a desire to describe their personality and express their uniqueness to their dear friends, people reveal all kinds of things about themselves to their vast and growing list of Facebook “friends,” most of which are not in that inner circle of truly close friends. Facebook does not let you distinguish between levels of friends (e.g., intimate friends verses distant friends), and I can tell you from experience that it is very hard to turn down “friend requests” from a stranger when that stranger and I share a mutual friend who has recommended me.  

In the old days, we were taught that personal privacy was something to be guarded and cherished. We were taught that “Big Brother” looking over our shoulder was a bad thing. You literally would have had to hire a private investigator to discover what is now freely revealed by people online. It’s almost as if everyone is “undressing.” 

But this isn’t the beach. 

Even if a person is immensely careful about what he or she says on Facebook, he or she can’t control what friends say or do or post, and how that might reflect back on the person. The digital world has not changed the fact that who we associate with does say something about us. Do people really understand the implications of posting so much “behind-the-scenes” information?

I can’t help but wonder how many people will not get the jobs they wanted, the publishing deals they sought, the favorable references they needed, or the unswerving loyalty they expected, because of what they exposed about themselves on social networking sites. 

In this brave new digital world, how do we teach young people not just internet safety, but wisdom and discretion?

Proverbs 17:28 says, “Even a fool is thought to be wise if he holds silent.”

Our culture is one of constant comparison. When we compare ourselves, our company, our ministry, our achievements, and so on, to others, it can at times inspire us. But more often than not, it breeds insecurity, discontentment, jealousy, envy, selfish ambition, and discouragement—the seeds of which make us truly unhealthy.

Yet, just as no two snowflakes are exactly alike, God our Creator made each of us to be and do something distinctive. We talk a lot about being secure in who and what we are, but if we will take a good, honest look at ourselves and really understand, acknowledge, and be secure in who and what we are not, we will have learned a great secret to health and contentment.