Curiosity Killed the Cat, But Will It Kill You?

It is no secret that with access to the internet and a world of information at our fingertips and available 24/7, young children, teens and even mature adults get sucked into cultural agendas, movements, and cults easily today. It’s also made us much more emotionally sensitive to cultural issues, and it often stirs curiosity.

Curiosity is a good thing, but it can lead us innocently to wrong thinking and down bad paths.

It begins innocently – “just for fun,” and without us even realizing it. Suddenly we find ourselves in unknown internet cultures and worlds and unable to turn off our curiosity. It all looks so fascinating. Even though we don’t always trust a real person, we often trust an unknown source or site online that somehow seems OK. After all, no one is looking – right? One simple, innocent, curious look can’t hurt. Or can it? One clever story can lead to opening many misleading and dangerous doors. It’s the classic story of Alice in Wonderland. We find ourselves falling into an internet rabbit hole. 

The liar of this world is out to confuse and deceive, and he is using the tools of media to do so as never before.

It’s so easy to get taken in today. Even trusted friends and family can innocently prick our curiosity with a joke, thought or clever meme. My husband has always been a storyteller and jokester. Early in our dating, we were shopping at a Walmart when he jokingly played on my novitiate. The store has about anything you might want under one roof, so as we walked through the pet section, I saw this huge metal screw and was curious. I asked him if he knew what it was used for, and he told me confidently that it was used for de-worming dogs. I was stunned. I froze in my tracks and stood staring at the object, unable to move. It looked like torture and tears began to build in my eyes. Then he started laughing. I had fallen for his joke and absurd story. He quickly explained that it was for securing dogs to the ground and not for de-worming them before I had a complete meltdown in the store. To this day, we still laugh at how quickly gullible I was. Looking back, I realize it had been my ultimate love for animals and my trust in his knowledge that allowed me to believe his story. But it all started with an innocent curiosity.

Where we’re sensitive and vulnerable is where we can get hit by Satan, the father of lies and the deceiver.

We can become innocently drawn in as we constantly troll through media looking to satisfy our endless curiosities. We naturally want to see for ourselves and learn more. Knowledge is the fruit that enticed Adam and Eve, and it continues to be an irresistible force in us today. As we read “friends” postings, we’re constantly reminded that we don’t know it all. Being disconnected and unaware is what we fear most. It is this fear that the deceiver uses to keep us distracted and that sends us down rabbit holes, opening curious doors to our demise.

Living up to the “ideal” person has never been achievable. With the overwhelming amount of media that bombards our lives, fighting off the demons of comparison, want and knowledge has become almost impossible. We are seeing the results in the ever-rising depression rates and mental illness in our world today. As parents and grandparents, it is more important than ever to stay vigilant. We must constantly watch and listen to the messaging coming through our digital screens. Young curious and innocent minds are particularly vulnerable. Most researchers and professionals say that children and even adults should not spend more than one hour a day on social media or the internet outside of work or schoolwork requirements.

We must be aware, disciplined and ready to teach the next generation by putting our digital devices on pause ourselves.

Research shows that as kids spend more time on their screens, they cannot judge facial responses and the emotions of others correctly. They are being de-sensitized, and that is just what Satan wants. He wants us to become unable to trust and believe that God loves us and that in Him we are and have enough. Paul tells us in Colossians 2:8 to “Beware that no one distracts you or intimidates you in their attempt to lead you away from Christ’s fullness by pretending to be full of wisdom when they’re filled with endless arguments of human logic. For they operate with humanistic and clouded judgments based on the mindset of this world system, and not the anointed truths of the Anointed One.” (Italics mine.)

Curiosity can kill the cat, but Jesus is the Lion of Judah who came to clear our vision and save us from destruction and death. The question is, are you willing to follow Him, or the constant lies of the deceiver delivered in on your screen?
-Kathleen Cooke