Friends With the World
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” James 4:1
Wow, my life is fabulous. Look at these pictures, these smiles and happiness, the sweet cuddly pictures of a sick baby and his puppy, the bright cheerfulness of a Christmas tree and my little elf in front. Wait, what’s this in my timeline? They had a birthday party and didn’t invite me? Wow, what is she wearing? Gosh I wish I looked that good in a dress. What is she posting here? She needs some encouragement if you see her today? What could be wrong? Wow I’m glad my life is totally fine, but is it? Look at her amazing new house! Goodness, my house could use a spruce up. I had better share my picture of my trip with my son to the zoo right now, it’s been a while since I posted something. I am sure my kid is the epitome of cuteness. Wait, what is this comment? How rude. Wow, I feel hot, I feel sick, I’m angry, I need to walk away. Oh, look! They did make it to Disney! What a cool Instagram photo. Let me refresh my timeline one more time…
Facebook is infectious, and not in a good way. It is the ultimate worldly tool to pull out the quarrels and fighting among us. People who don’t even know you feel at ease to attack when your ideas or thoughts expressed don’t match theirs. Pictures or reading between the literal lines of a post cause us to build drama within ourselves and among each other.
“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:4
Facebook is the ultimate Friend. Friendship with the world takes on a more innocent appearance through the vehicle of Facebook. Ironic that we pursue friends, likes, and positive comments, when each one can deteriorate our true relationship with Jesus. When the obsessive, addictive, and controlling ‘friend’ of Facebook finally hurts you deeply, you realize the one relationship that matters has suffered. Enmity’s definition is: the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something. So when friendship with our world takes precedence over our priorities, we become, according to James, opposed or hostile towards Jesus. The enemy’s plan has worked to turn us God and replace Him with meaningless things.
“Do you think Scripture says without reason that He jealously longs for the spirit He has caused to dwell in us? But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:5–6
Why are we surprised that the one thing that fills the holes in our day is undesirable to God when it isn’t Him? Our God is a jealous God. He longs to be connected fully to us, His creation. When something worldly interrupts that connection, there are negative outcomes. Can we honestly say that Facebook fulfills needs in our lives? If yes, what are those needs? The need to be liked? The need for attention? The need to feel important or special? Don’t these needs indicate a measure of pride within ourselves? As James testifies, “God opposes the proud” and the feeling of opposition from our Lord can’t leave us feeling fully satisfied. All these needs are filled or rendered meaningless when we seek to saturate our day with the pursuit of the presence of God. We will experience His grace, unmerited favor, when we humble ourselves, choose to remove our pride, and quit allowing a worldly friend to replace Him as Lord of our lives.
“Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. … As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.” James 4:11,16
How are we using our worldly friend? Are we uplifting to one another, are we encouraging, are we kind? Or, do we use it to slander others, curse and belittle them, condescend in a way to elevate ourselves? Are we posting the perfect pictures to make ourselves look amazing according to worldly standards and boasting of our many good fortunes, yet silent when things are not so perfect?
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. …. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4: 7–8, 10
Submission has two definitions: “the action of presenting a proposal, application, or other document for consideration or judgment” or “the action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person.”
When we submit to Facebook, we present our lives for consideration or judgement. We are opening ourselves up for worldly judgement based on superficial meaningless criteria measured against worldly and unrealistic standards. When we submit to God, we are yielding to His authority. We accept that he is a superior force in our lives and above all His favor and approval are all we need.
“If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” James 4:17
Acknowledging the truth about what our relationship with social media is, in general, is important for our relationship with Jesus. Knowing if our submission is to Facebook for approval, judgement, and boasting, or if our submission is to Jesus and His authority over our lives is the most important clarification we must make in determining our true friendship. Are we Facebook friends with the World or are we in deep relationship with Jesus?
“If we know the good we ought to do, we must do it.” This may mean taking a hiatus from Facebook, it may mean limiting ourselves to pictures only for the grandparents to see, it might look like only using it to message friends you don’t have emails for. Defining how you will use Facebook for entertainment in order to avoid replacing Jesus as your one true friend is the first step to finding out the good we must do and then we must take action and do it.
Let us, as believers, take action to prevent Facebook and other social media outlets from becoming our friendship with the world and create a stronghold for the enemy. When we accomplish the removal of this stronghold, we will then experience the freedom from worldly friendship and peace through a meaningful relationship with Jesus.
