In the past year, I have been afforded the opportunity to attend a few events and conferences marketed to Christian millennials. I always enjoy being in a room full of like-minded, fly, and spirit-filled people. There is something special that happens when we get together to worship God, learn, and talk about our plans for success.
Whenever the time comes for us to exchange information to keep in touch, we usually ask… what’s your Instagram or Facebook?
There’s nothing wrong with this method of connecting, as it has proven to be an effective way to get to know someone. However, it does cross my mind that after the initial connections are made, we begin to size each other up and measure one another’s success through our social media influence — or the lack thereof.
It’s no secret that our culture worships success. Success for our parents used was something like the “American Dream” — a healthy family and raising smart children. But for many of us millennials, we now equate success with more intangible assets like followers and brand recognition.
If we are not careful, we can easily feel that we are not successful unless we can upload photos of the trips we’ve taken, show off our material possessions, and provide consistent content worthy of a double tap from our peers.
I can admit that many times I have felt validated through likes, shares, and engagement with my social media accounts and online content. And maybe you’re tracking with me. But …
What if I told you that social media engagement was an inaccurate way to measure our personal success and value? What if I told you that the desire for validation online proved that our hearts were out of sync?
We all have been given a measure of gifts and talents, and we know this to be true because we have been created in the image and likeness of God. We are God’s masterpieces.
God has always had a plan for our gifts to bring him glory, to spread light in the Earth and to serve as a means to create wealth. God affirmed us before our gifts were discovered and we were valuable before God gave man the idea to create social media platforms.
You see, social media is a created tool and we become heart sick when we worship or idolize and serve created things rather than the creator (Romans 1:25.)
Let’s look at a few ways to keep social media in its place and our true identity in tack:
- Limit your time.
I know, I know this may seem like a no brainer. According to an Ipsos poll, on average we spend 7. 5 hours daily on the internet. Can you imagine how lit our devotional lives would be if we replaced this time in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, worship, and studying the Word of God? We can become so accustomed to quickly scrolling through our timelines that we can approach God with these same patterns. We can’t grow deeper roots in God and cultivate a stronger identity in Christ simply by skimming and scrolling. For many of us, it may be time for us to step away from our sites to refresh.
- Vow to guard your eyes and ears.
When we find ourselves closing apps with feelings of anger, jealousy, and sadness we should feel compelled to make some personal changes. The first step to change requires honesty within ourselves.
Does the content that we view on social media currently help us grow and mature in Christ? Is the content safe for our mental and emotional well-being? If the answer to these questions is no, eliminate it and don’t feel bad about unfollowing and deleting any accounts that are an enemy to your vow.
- Post thoughtfully.
The life of a Christian is all about sacrificial love. We see this theme throughout Christ’s life and ministry. As we strive to be more Christ-like, we too should consider the well being of others and build one another up.
Have you ever considered that something that you may have written or said online has caused someone to stumble? Romans 13:14 says, Decide to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. When we are cognizant of impact, we will begin to use the tool of social media to bring God glory and to build up our audiences. Let’s ask ourselves more often, is my timeline a light to the world or does it promote values that would embarrass my calling and Christ?
- Resist comparison.
I find myself almost always negatively impacted by social media when I realize that I am comparing my everyday life to someone’s highlight reel online. We all want to share the best moments of our lives but truth is, everyday is not picture perfect. Dispel the idea that our routines of work, family life, and even struggles are less valuable than the more “glamorous” moments. A heart of gratitude for all that God gives us and allows us to experience is enough to overcome the kill joy of comparison. We can resist the urge to compare with the help of the Holy Spirit.
At the core of godly success is faithfulness and obedience to God. As we commit the work of our hands to God and obey His plan for our lives, we attain true success and see ourselves as God designed.
Let’s recap and commit to:
- Dig deeper and step away to refresh.
- Post thoughtfully
- Pay attention to the health of our hearts.
My prayer is for us to live out our faith where God has placed us with contentment while enjoying social media responsibly.
Source: Ipsos, Fall 2016 Ipsos Affluent Survey USA
