Is it ok to befriend a person of the opposite sex to yourself,
Well, Jesus talked with that woman at the well. But notice which way He took the relationship.
Where are you hoping to go? You have people you already know, and Jesus desires that we find out how our Father has us loving the people we already know. I would say, then, if I go to the Net, this needs to be the cup running over with how I have been so blessed in love sharing with my Jesus family people I already know, and in order to reach lost souls for Jesus.
If you have time for a relationship on Facebook with someone who you have never spent time with . . .
I hope you have used time well for being in prayer with God. Isn't it strange, how people can spend time on the Net complaining that they don't have time to be with God in prayer? That minute of complaining or other vain talk on the Net was time you could have been in prayer and sharing with God who really loves you!!
And yet ones are trying to figure out how to fish for a total stranger, in order to get love, when already we have how our Heavenly Father so loves us.
And I know it can be very special to share with Jesus people who are a good example for us and feed us how to be real and sharing with God and learn how to relate in His way of loving as family and in caring for any and all people. So, hopefully you have made sure you have friends like this . . . ones who know you personally,
who can see through you so they can really help and bless you.
I think I know someone who has gone to the Net and thought she found love, and the so-called person could give her pretty expert legal advice on how she could get money freed to send to that one claiming to be a man. Possibly, the "person" is an organized international scam gang. And I understand that if a terrorist is getting embedded in the United States, he or she might pose as a love hungry poor lonely soul on the Net, in order to raise money locally so he or she does not risk exposing the terrorist group's leaders in another country by sending them an international request for finances. Intel could intercept an international communication and track down the leaders and their money sources; so one might pretend to be a local love seeker, so he or she can scam for money without exposing higher-uppers and funders of the terrorist organization.
So, I would say never send money to someone you do not know personally, or who is not a verified group's person.
And certainly do not give out your heart > I myself fell for someone who could write the talk and turned out to be with a virtual rapist boyfriend, yet involved with a church. But . . . at least . . . I got in touch with her pastor, because I understood he might not know of me but still was trusting me about how I related with her. He was very good for me.
So, if you are going to share with a total stranger, and if the person is legitimate, I would say the person would love to let you know who his people are who have helped him to walk with Jesus and learn how to love any and all people. They are so good for him; so of course he would want you to be blessed by them, too.
You can get his church on the Net, phone his pastor to check him out and be blessed with how his pastor ministers to you on the phone. And find out who are the mature Christians who mentor your Net friend, so maybe you can verify them with the pastor and share with them, also.
Because love in Jesus is family caring and sharing love, not isolating us with only certain people we hope to use.
And have you been receiving help with mature mentors whom he a Christian person would benefit from getting to know? These much more mature ones would be so much more beneficial to you, than you can be for one another, especially if loneliness and boredom are driving your Net life.
And, of course, God's word about how to relate in His love comes from God's own knowledge and experience. So, are we feeding on how God's word says to become and relate in His love?
"without complaining and disputing" (in Philippians 2:13-16)
"submitting to one another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5:21)
"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:7)
"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)
