If @Jesus was on Twitter, would you #FollowHim ?

Social Media VS the Great Commission

When it comes to reading social media, it seems everyone has a cynical opinion of others,

“PLEASE STOP! I hate seeing pictures of your children.”
“I really don’t care what you did last weekend…”
“Stop posting memes and spam already!”
“Another selfie? Is there a legal limit on those?”
“Stop taking pictures of your food!”
“I‘m canceling my Facebook account, I’m going off the grid.”
“I don’t want to see pictures of your European vacation…”
“I hate seeing everyone’s perfect lives.”

What are we posting?

Most of our posts are attempts to show our self image in the highest view possible. The truth is, we naturally desire approval of others. We can quickly replace God’s approval with the approval of man. When was the last time you posted a burnt dinner, speeding ticket, bad grade, or an unpleasant photo of yourself? Excessive use of social media can lead to prideful narcissism, poor self esteem, poor body image, and even depression. Psychologists have coined a new term FAD (Facebook Addiction Disorder) in an attempt to treat internet addicts and approval junkies.

“How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” -John 5:44 ESV

We share what we LOVE

A meal soooo good you must simply let others know, a beautiful sunset that must be shared, a breaking news story that will change your outlook, a funny photo that will make you LOL, a sad story about suffering or injustice that needs attention, a song that you simply find amazing, a new movie trailer, or an awesome quote from history?

We love to share what we love! It just comes natural.

So, what do we love?

This is a crucial reflection here. You guessed it, the Sunday school answer here should be Jesus. If Jesus is really our first love, we would love to share about Jesus and his good news! This doesn’t just apply to social media, this applies everywhere and everyday.

“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” -Luke 6:45 ESV

Consider “Rescuer” by Chris McClarney

“Hearts that know mercy
cannot stay silent …”
What a profound observation!
We sing this song all the time, but can we honestly claim something like that for ourselves?

Closing Thoughts

My argument is it can be very tempting to pass off social media as a total waste of time, or misuse it for selfish reasons. The truth is, social media is a reflection of what’s most on your heart. I would not recommend immediately posting more #Jesus tags in your post, but instead growing your desire for God, and letting it pour into your posts naturally. Social media is an amazing relatively new platform for sharing the good news of the gospel, being a witness, and encouraging the Church body. Think of how many family members, friends, colleagues, strangers, or organizations you have access to! You are free to share ideas world-wide!

What kind of impact would someone like Paul have with social media?

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” -Mathew 5:16 ESV