A Renewed Mind on Social Media
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 ESV)
Social media is a gift from God.
I am thankful for the connectivity that social media provides for people around the world. After all, God made us in His image as relational beings — “it is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18 ESV). However, social media— like every other good gift — can potentially destroy us if we are not careful in how we use it.
Do Not Be Conformed
Paul concludes the first eleven chapters of his powerful letter to the Christian churches in Rome by exhorting them to be “living sacrifices” for God. They were to submit themselves wholly to God — both the body and the soul. In the following verse, Paul commands Christians to “not be conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2). The precious flow of Christ’s blood on the cross not only bought our salvation but also our obedience. In obeying God, we must, therefore, rebel against worldly and unbiblical acts, principles, and tendencies.
So how does this relate to social media?
It is not a secret that the use of social media is related to mental health issues, low self-esteem, and discontentment. Every time I upload a new profile picture to Facebook, I would be anxious to see how many people had inputted their approval and would be very disappointed if the number of “likes” didn’t meet my expectations. Each “like” or “comment” would give me a tiny hit of happiness — and it was addicting. Not only did I have Facebook — but I once had Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter as well — and each would be my instrument for generating vain and temporary pleasure. Consequently, much of my university life even after I became a Christian was spent worrying about what other people thought about me, often paralyzing me from serving and worshipping God — and I still wrestle with this sin daily.
This wasn’t the only issue. The longer I spent on social media, the more discontent I became. I wanted more shoes, I wanted nicer clothes, I wanted to be a bodybuilder, I wanted to be in the NBA, etc. The list of coveting and wanting goes on — all to the detriment of my joy in Christ. Now platforms like Facebook are even smart enough to detect your search history and bounce ads your way for goods and services.
If that didn’t make things worse enough for me, I began to notice articles and posts on Snapchat and Instagram that would often contain inappropriate or even explicit images.
Social media soon blinded me to the Gospel. It had blinded me to the joy that would make Paul exclaim “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8 ESV). It also stopped me from being able to discern what was pleasing to the Lord, and ultimately blurred my vision of His will for my life. Remember that the devil is a prowling lion that seeks to devour us. We must be careful with how social media is influencing our minds if we are to resist the devil and the daily temptations to conform to this world.
I Will Not Be Dominated
The Corinthians had a popular saying: “All things are lawful for me”. Basically, they believed that the body is permitted to anything that it craved (and hence the immorality that ran rampant in Corinth). Paul corrects their folly by reminding them that they should not be controlled by anything. Yes, social media is “lawful”, but do not let it control you — “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7 ESV).
“‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12)
In the end, I deleted my Snapchat and Instagram accounts, and have not looked back since. “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.” (Matthew 5:29 ESV)
Be Transformed
Although the devil has used many people across social media and social media itself as a medium to spread wickedness, we as believers in Jesus Christ can also use social media as a medium to spread the message of our Living Hope. I am very encouraged to see UWCCF begin a blog ministry this term because it shows how God can use social media to change lives and show people the Person of Jesus. Praise God for this amazing opportunity to bring glory to Him.
The greatest commandment is this: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30 ESV)
Be mindful of how the devil may be tempting you through social media platforms, while at the same time and in God-given wisdom making the most of every opportunity to proclaim the Gospel and to testify to the Lord’s goodness in the hope that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
