Anyway, it's been a while since our youth group did Renown (way back in mid-April), so this post may not actually be as "timely" as I said in the beginning, but it's one I've been wanting to write. Let me first say that a lot of this is not going to be "mine" - I'm basically going to be typing up my notes from a brief twenty minute session that Pastor Brett gave called "Living for Christ's Renown in My Social Media", plus maybe some added thoughts of mine. I think that this is so important - so many of our kids, grandkids, neices, nephews, etc. are or will be using various forms of social media. Teachers are even using it to communicate assignments, etc. sometimes. Not to mention how we use it as parents, teachers, leaders, and so on. I thought that Brett raised some really wonderful points about the dangers/benefits of social media and wanted to share them. I know that this changed, to some extent, how I view what I'm posting and liking - not because anything I was doing before was necessarily wrong or sinful, but simply because what I feel perfectly fine with may raise someone else's eyebrows, etc., and I don't want to ever be the cause of someone else stumbling in their walk with Christ. That being said, I do feel like this falls in the realm of personal conviction, and everyone is going to have their own opinions about what is okay and what is not, with some obvious distinctions (i.e., pornography is wrong for any Christian, at any time, to like or post; an e-card that I find humourous but someone else may look askance at - well, that's a little more up to an individual). Keep in mind that my thoughts on this are just that - my thoughts, and that doesn't make them true for everyone, nor am I judging anyone for how they use social media, on whatever platform.
So....why is this even an issue? Because Ephesians 5:15-16 says this: "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." Because Colossians 1:16 says: "For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through Him and for Him." You see, we have to live for Christ in all things, in all areas of our lives. No part is excluded, and that includes how you blog, how you use Facebook, what you post on Instagram, or Snapchat, or Twitter, and on and on and on. As Brett put it so nicely, in a way I had never thought of before, if Colossians 1:16 is true, then it is true that Christ rules in the digital realm as well, and not only that, but the digital realm was created for Him. That means that it's really for His use - to glorify Him and bring honor to His name, to further His gospel.
Now, to me, that doesn't mean that I can't post pictures of my family, or blog about what's going on in my life, or share funny e-cards or quotes, etc. - all of those things can bring glory to God, too, even if I don't sign #blessed to each post or picture. But sharing the growth of my family and my joy in them brings glory to God by publicizing my delight in the blessings He has showered on me in them. It brings glory to Him when I show through various posts or pictures the active role I am taking in bringing my son up to believe in Christ, the fulfillment of my role as a wife and mother; the simple pleasure of the comfort of my pets; the fellowship of being with like-minded friends; the practice of humor (God created that, too) - especially when I can distinguish between appropriate/inappropriate humor. And the list goes on. So please believe me when I say that I don't believe that each and every post you publish must be explicitly about Christ in its entirety. I do believe, however, that when someone looks at the pattern, so to speak, of your posts, they should see someone in love with Christ and the life He has given them, in its entirety. In other words, the pattern of what you use social media for should point back to Christ in some way, even if you're not writing it over every Snapchat you send, or tagging His name as a part of every blog post you write. I should get a sense that you are a believer.
Brett made the statement that social media platforms can be a great tool. To paraphrase what he said, though, it all depends on how you use it and whose hands you're going to allow it to be a tool in. It can be a tool in the hands of Satan to hinder the purposes of Christ, or it can be a tool in the hand of God, to further Christ's purposes for your life and for the lives of those who view what you publish.
So how do we make something seemingly so innocuous a tool for Christ? Brett gave us a lot to think about, so I'm going to list some of the questions and explanations, plus thoughts I might have had, below. Take them for what they're worth to you, but do take them into consideration. Don't just dismiss any of them out of hand or think they don't apply to you - because I was surprised how some did apply to me when I really took the time to think about them.
- How can I apply God's Word to this? Be mindful of what you're posting, liking, reading, subjecting yourself to. Don't take anything for granted, and hold all things up against the test of God's Word - if it doesn't match up, don't be tempted to fall into a trap of believing something just because a friend posted it, or to fall into a certain sin because everyone else is doing it on social media.
- What is this doing to my relationship with God? For me, this means: am I "liking" things I shouldn't? Am I allowing unbelieving friends to clutter up my wall with comments/photos/status updates that aren't glorifying to God and that are putting sin constantly in front of my face (sort of "trash in, trash out")? Am I so consumed with checking for updates from others or comments on my posts that I'm neglecting to spend time with God? Do I put social media before His Word? Am I trying to steal any of God's glory for myself by focusing on how many "likes" I get, or who commented on my post/picture/status and who didn't - do I want all of the attention? (This can be tricky - I don't think it's a big deal to be pleased that people like something you put a lot of work into, or your new haircut, or the fact that you got reblogged, etc., because those things are awesome and there is NOTHING wrong with being proud of it if you realize that anything you do, or any gifts you have come from Christ FIRST AND ONLY, but I think it can sometimes cross the line if you're consumed by this or if the number of responses you get becomes a point of pride. So there's a distinction - do NOT be offended by this; actually read my words. And if you do get offended, maybe think about why you're offended - sometimes I'm just a jerk, and sometimes it's conviction.)
- Am I too weak to use social media? Are some things on various forms of it just too tempting for me? Will they lead me into sin if I can't fight it? If that's the case, don't give sin a way in - we all know Satan will take advantage of every opportunity, every opening, especially if he can cause God's people to stumble. Determine if it's something that's all-consuming. Christ should be the only all-consuming thing for you. I check social media several times a day, typically; mostly this is to see what others have posted, and hopefully to rejoice or delight in the various activities they have going on. I think that's okay, because I also don't have to check it; if I don't get on it for a day or two, so be it. But if it's a compulsion, consider why this is, and if it's healthy for your relationship with Christ or not.
- Can I use some forms of it, but not all? For example, I don't have Twitter or Tumblr - to me, seems like too many nasty or inappropriate things are sometimes said on it. And I would have a temptation to follow certain celebrities, etc., that might post sinful things or further liberal agendas (yes, I just said that), that I don't agree with, and would either tempt me to sin or to anger, or whatever. I do have Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, this blog, and Instagram - I don't feel that these are tempations for me. As a matter of fact, there have been several celebrities that I have previously followed on Instagram that I stopped following simply because some of the things they posted were not glorifying to God and were not anything I wanted to see. The main point is to know yourself and your weaknesses and to be discerning. There is no shame in not having an account on any form of social media.
- Do I have accountability in this? More or less, see all of the things above. If I know that I may be tempted in something, I should have someone who can help monitor my activity as far as what I'm liking or posting, and call attention to anything that may be out of line (lovingly but firmly, of course). This person should also be willing to ask me in what ways I'm using the social media when I'm not posting or liking - am I secretly looking at things I shouldn't be? If you need this accountability, you may even consider giving your "accountability partner" your password to your account(s) so that they can access it and check on you every so often when you're not expecting it (everyone knows how to clear a history!). It's much less painful to endure being "caught" and called to repentance NOW than to face Christ and explain it later.
- Know that love has two objects: God and our fellow neighbor. Therefore, how is my social media usage helping me or others to love God more? Again, when I look back at my "feed" or past posts or whatever, am I seeing a person who loves Christ? Am I speaking of Him, showing Him, showing fellowship of the saints? Am I sharing trash or things that point to Him? Am I "liking" things that are sinful and thereby damaging my testimony?
- Am I setting myself up as a judge of what others post? Do I feel better than someone when I see a picture of their family, project, vacation, and believe that it's inferior to mine? Sort of as two sides of the same coin, do I feel pity for them because their stuff isn't as good as mine, or am I pleased that they are so happy with what they have and are sharing? Am I judging someone on how much or how little they post, or do I recognize that I can follow/unfollow as necessary to clear my feed if I feel they haven't hit it "just right"? Do I recognize that people have different interests than I do, and not judge them for having a different focus or interest than me?
- Does viewing what others post make me jealous, or am I trying to create jealousy in others through what I post? Okay, we get it, you have a gorgeous, immacuately clean house with a white picket fence, a ginormous pool, a model-level husband, 2.5 perfectly clean and well-behaved little angel children, a dog that can do tricks, and a cat that doesn't shed. No I'm just kidding! But consider when you post something, if someone who is maybe less fortunate is viewing it and whether what you have may stir up jealousy in them? Now, that is their sin, yes, and you cannot control their feelings, no; however, are you posting these things in a prideful way, to show off what you have, or with a heart of humble thankfulness for what Christ has given you? On the flip side, can you rejoice in other's good fortune and station in life, recognizing that Christ may have chosen to bless them in a different way? Or do you feel hatred and envy towards someone because they have more/better/newer stuff than you?
- Am I made angry or irritable by what others post? I think this kind of goes along with some of the other stuff I've elaborated on, so I won't belabor the point, but be mindful of your attitudes towards others and how they use social media, particularly your brothers and sisters in Christ. Who cares if they post eighteen times a day (haha - see my first paragraph)? If you don't want to look at all of them, either unfollow them or scroll through them (my choice - less hurt feelings if you just scroll through than if you unfollow someone with no explanation - not that I think that matters, either, but it's always better to err on the side of caution, unless they're posting inappropriate things and need to be confronted). By the same token, don't be made irritable by what others comment or don't comment, like or don't like; recognize that not everyone comments on every post, or likes every post, or even sees every post. Remember, if they follow you, they're probably a friend or admirer of you, and they love you, regardless of whether or not they "interact", for lack of a better term, with a specific post. I've had to watch this in the past, so I can say this wholeheartedly! Remember, the point of all social media (and everything, really) is to bring glory to Christ, so unless you're offended for Him, don't be offended.
- Am I promoting wrongdoing or truth? Again, this sort of goes back to everything above, but the short version is: don't share and like things that God would not be pleased by. If it's not a story/joke/picture/post you would share with Him, don't share it with others. Duh. (Yes, I just said that, too! LOL)
- Am I being unloving by constantly drawing attention to myself? I think that this goes back to the jealousy issue to some extent, but just a couple of things to say here. Don't be a braggart. For example, I post pictures of my artwork - yes, I'm proud of the work I did if it's something that I post, and yes, it's nice to get compliments on them. However, I am mindful of the fact that my talent is small in comparison to the Creator of the universe. I am mindful of the fact that I am created in His image, and so what I do is simply a faded copy of His talent. I post it, because I enjoy sharing the fun stuff I get to do, but I don't (I don't think - and call me out if I'm wrong!) brag about it. I'm not all like, "Look how awesome I am! Didn't I do a great job with this? Tell me how talented and beautiful I am!" (Okay, my beauty - or lack thereof haha - has nothing to do with art, but why not throw it in there? LOL) Another side to this, is the aforementioned eighteen posts a day. Sure, it's my account and my business, and I firmly believe that if I want to post eighteen pictures a day every day, people should be willing to scroll through it if they don't like it (love covers a multitude of sins, right?) - but you have to take into consideration why you're posting that many pictures a day (and I do recognize that we don't usually do this). For instance, today I may have been overly excited about the field trip (I've never been there, love animals, and loved seeing Cole interact with them), and wanted to share the awesome time we were having. I did not want to brag about where I was, make others jealous about not being there, get compliments on the way I look, or the way Cole looks, or so on and so on, and I think that's the distinction. That being said, it's again, not something I do every day, because that would be unlovingly drawing a lot of attention to myself and not giving others the chance to fill up their friends' feeds. :)
- Finally, am I posting a real version of my life or am I being phony? Am I only posting what I want others to see? I think this is a big one. In reality, we all go through struggles. No one's life is like the description that I put after the jealousy question all day, every day. So don't post that stuff every day and expect the world to believe it. This is kind of like the #iwokeuplikethis and #nofilter things. No, you did not wake up with flawless skin, hair and makeup, with the sun hitting you at just the right angle and your sheets perfectly mussed but strategically covering everything they need to cover. And we all know it. You woke up with raccoon eyes and lipstick smudged up the sides of your cheeks, your hair sticking in every direction, a pimple beside your nose, dried drool on your chin, your shirt twisted and your legs hanging out from under the blankets. Let's just be real - and if you did wake up #flawless, the rest of us mere mortals don't want to know, so just go back and read #8, ya jerk. And no, we don't want to see the pictures of you crying with mascara running down your face and snot bubbles coming our your nose because your life is actually a mess and you're sad about it, either. Save that for when we're actually with you to lend a shoulder to cry on and we've got a box of Kleenex to give you. Find the middle in your posts, please. If you're #feelingyourlook one day, sure post it. I'll enjoy your cute outfit with you and tell you how beautiful you are, because you are - but also because you're beautiful on the inside and I love you for that way more than for how you look on the outside, okay? Just don't fill up my feed with 82 selfies every day, because I WILL unfollow you. And don't tell me #nofilter when I KNOW you're trying out that new Lark filter just like the rest of us (filters are fun, after all!). In other words, just don't present yourself as someone you're not. I want to know the REAL you - even if you have acne and a messy house. I want to know who Christ made you to be, because THAT'S the most beautiful you - #nofilter needed. :)
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