Are You Practicing What You Preach?

If you look back on my social media posts from high school, and even my first year and a half of college, when my relationship with Jesus was not near as strong and close as it is now, you might say I am a hypocrite. I will admit I tweeted words that did not need to be published, made Facebook posts about people, and issues I did not have a right to have an opinion on, stuck my nose in people's business that was not my own, and shared pictures and quotes that were not always the most God honoring.

It is so easy to post a bible verse on your social media, or make a statement about loving God. But are the other things you are posting about your life for the whole world to see, practicing what you preach?

The Bible says, "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be." -James 3:10

The closer I grow to God, the more and more aware I become of what I want my social media to say about not just me but my Heavenly Father. My bio on Instagram shouldn't be a bible verse or say "Christian" if my pictures are of me partying and drinking, clothed inappropriately, hanging all over different guys, and captions full of cuss words. I shouldn't post a Facebook status about not judging others and then make fun of strangers on my Snapchat story. It gives us, as Jesus followers, a bad reputation. It sends the world mixed signals. Presenting ourselves in this way is not what Jesus was about.

How can we expect to reach a broken world, and show them Jesus, if we live just as the world lives and do not set ourselves apart?

Ephesians 5:1-2 tells us, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."

I am not saying all of this to say that we as Christians will not make mistakes, because we will all fall short, and God knows that. I too, make mistakes with my actions and words or post something on social media that probably isn't the best idea, and I didn't thoroughly think it through at the time. But as Christians, we are called to try and live in such a way that we imitate God and bring Him glory to the best of our ability.

So next time you choose to post a picture, a tweet, a status, a caption, share something on social media or even comment on what someone else has posted, think to yourself, "Is this honoring to my Father? Will He be pleased with me?"

The world is already so dark and broken. We as Christians need to be the light of Jesus shining through the cracks.