When the Church Is Too Online (Part 1)
There’s no way to tackle every issue this presents in a single article, but I do want to offer a kind of litmus test—something to help us recognize what it looks like when the church of Jesus Christ becomes “too online.” May God help us identify these patterns, biblically discern where radical amputation or wise boundaries are needed, and ensure that we are not brought under the power of anything (1 Cor. 6:12). The internet is a helpful tool—but it makes a terrible master.
1. Envy Reigns Supreme.
Scripture is clear: “A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones” (Proverbs 14:30). Hebrews 13:5 echoes this warning: “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have.” But online platforms train us to compare everything—bodies, homes, careers, vacations, families, personalities, relationships.
Every scroll feeds discontent. We see someone’s highlight reel and grow dissatisfied with our own life. We covet others’ possessions, envy their appearance, wish we had their friendships, and wonder why our lives seem smaller or more mundane. Left unchecked, this envy not only decays our souls but infects the whole church body with conflict, competition, and division. Paul warns in Galatians 5:19–21 that envy, jealousy, and strife are works of the flesh—not the fruit of the Spirit.
Every time we engage with content, we risk being shaped by it—either toward gratitude or toward resentment. Envy makes us doubt God’s provision and diminishes our contentment in Christ.
2. Depression Rises Dramatically.
Jonathan Haidt’s research in The Anxious Generation reveals what many pastors and parents already suspect: constant exposure to screens, likes, shares, and notifications contributes to rising anxiety, loneliness, and depression—especially among Gen Z. Every like or share creates a dopamine hit, conditioning us to crave approval from strangers instead of affirmation from the Lord.
We were not made for artificial connection. God designed us for embodied, in-person relationships—life-on-life discipleship, table fellowship, shared joy, and mutual burdens. The online world promises community, but often delivers only isolation. It offers excitement, but not satisfaction. As Solomon said, “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing” (Ecclesiastes 1:8).
3. The Gender Divide Grows Drastically.
The internet hasn’t impacted all people equally. Young men, in particular, are being spiritually and socially paralyzed by digital addictions. Whether it’s immersive gaming or pornography, these artificial pleasures offer stimulation without responsibility—and as a result, many young men are emotionally stunted, relationally insecure, and spiritually stagnant.
Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 that God’s will is our sanctification, especially in the area of sexual purity. But private compromise undermines public leadership. When integrity erodes in secret, boldness vanishes in public. Satan uses these hidden addictions to handcuff men to their bedrooms, draining them of courage, ambition, and leadership.
For women, the internet fuels body image obsession and perfectionism. Constant comparison to digitally enhanced, curated lives causes anxiety and insecurity. Many young women become so entangled in self-presentation that they struggle to develop genuine, grace-filled confidence in Christ.
The result? Both men and women suffer. Both are pulled into roles and identities shaped more by pixels than by Scripture.
4. Our Social Communication Suffers.
Digital communication is not evil—but it’s incomplete. We need to learn how to email well, text graciously, and navigate online spaces wisely. But we can’t stop there. Online communication lacks the tone, eye contact, physical presence, and spiritual warmth that come through embodied fellowship.
Worse, many feel emboldened to post things online that they would never say in person. We mistake venting for vulnerability, or passive-aggression for biblical exhortation. But Scripture calls us to something better: “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Colossians 4:6).
If we want to obey Christ’s command to love one another, forgive one another, and build one another up, it requires face-to-face conversation. It demands listening well, speaking wisely, and staying humble in real relationships.
The church doesn’t need to abandon technology, but we do need to disciple people through it. We need to touch grass, not just scroll feeds. We need to raise up leaders who are more shaped by Scripture than by trends. And we need to be alert to the subtle ways we become “too online,” drifting from the physical, faithful community that God has called us to.