In a recent advertising meeting, one of the marketing people was explaining about banner advertising done on the major Internet search engines. There is a little program that looks at the search word, then at your browser cookie, and almost instantly decides which banner ad to place up on top of your screen. A volunteer was sought to demonstrate. No one wanted to have their cookie examined in public. Apparently many of them had stopped at a few places they were not so proud of going! They were alarmed anyone could know about what they thought were their private travels.

          You probably think a cookie is something your mom makes on special occasions. In the Internet world, however, a cookie is a record of all the different places you have visited recently on the web. Unless you know how to clear your cookie, you have no secrets in regards to your Internet travels. If someone wants to know where you’ve been, they can find out. Interesting! Reminds me of an old church hymn entitled  “There’s an all-seeing eye watching you!”

          The world wide web is can be a great blessings for the Christian community. We’re just beginning to realize some of it’s amazing potential. Yet we are all aware that the web has many sources of temptations. This  “dark side” of the web is regularly accessed because of the apparent veil of privacy and anonymity. If no one knows what we do, then doing it becomes enticingly easier. Fascination gives way to enticement, enticement gives way to lust, and lust gives way to…

          But what happens when we know others know about our secret and seductive travels? What happens when we have others to hold us accountable? What happens when we know someone is in our cookie? Hmm…maybe it’s time we did several things to help us be people of both public and private integrity.

          First, let’s remember that character and integrity are defined by who we are when we think no one is looking. Our heart is won or lost in our private, interior world. What happens in this world ultimately works itself out in our public life. And even if  “no one else knows,” we do and God does.  “Victimless crimes” are not victimless—they destroy something inside of us and erect a wall of shame between us and God.

          Second, let’s put ourselves into a prayer team or small group Bible study where we do have genuine accountability. Satan can destroy us much more easily as long as we remain alone, but woven together into a relationship with others, we form a   “cord of three strands which is not easily broken.”

          Despite the appearance of privacy, someone’s always been in our cookie. So now that we know, let’s commit to be people of integrity and character.

“For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” — Ecclesiastes 12:14

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“One is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15 NRSV)
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“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
“The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a person unclean. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a person unclean.” (Matthew 15:18-20)
“See to it that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” (Hebrews 3:12)
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A prayer team is a group of three people of the same gender who partner themselves with each other to pray weekly, confess sins, and encourage each other in the Lord.
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“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves, a cord of three strands is not easily broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12)
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