Today alone, I have seen so many negative posts on social media. It happens every day but today particularly irked me.
For most of us, we use our phones from the second we wake up to the second we fall asleep. So, whether we like to admit it or not, social media shapes who we are and is a big part of our lives. I ask you, what would happen if you spent those first few seconds after waking up and before falling asleep with God?
What sparked this idea in me was partially the Holy Spirit speaking to me in my moments of anger and part John Crist's rant on Instagram (a bit ironic, I know). He shared that a pastor bought his wife a Lamborghini and so many people were being so rude, hateful, and negative. None of them knew this pastor or his story but continued to judge.
He also mentioned that Lauren Daigle received a lot of hate and judgment as well on social media for one thing she said. I loved how John Crist responded. He said that she has done more for the Kingdom than most of us have and will. She has written songs that bring so many people to Jesus and share the Glory of God. He pointed out that we are so harsh when people don't say or tweet anything that we think is "Christian" but that we don't uplift or encourage people when they do.
It made me start to think about how much power we give to social media. We allow the ideals of these platforms to seep into the holes we have in our hearts. We allow social media to complete us where the Holy Spirit is waiting too.
I am not encouraging any believer to quit all social media platforms because today, it is such a great way to spread the gospel. I praise my friends who share positive posts about their lives and the Lord that are rare gems in the ocean of negativity that is social media.
But, I will be strongly filtering through who I follow on social media. For me, this is beyond necessary, because I find myself getting so upset and allowing other people's opinions and actions to control my emotions.
From excessive amounts of cleavage to opinions no one asked for on matters that do not matter, social media shows me how broken this world is.
Why is it easier to write an entire rant about something negative than it is to share scripture or a testimony? Better yet, why not just put your phone down and do something, yes physically do something, to share the Glory of God. There is an entire world out there that needs us. We are the army of Christ and boy are we a disappointing bunch just sitting on our phones scrolling through Facebook all day.
Sure, we can spread the Gospel through social media, but we all desperately need community. We need real face-to-face interactions that build relationships with other believers and bring glory to God.
We face enough distractions and temptations already and the enemy is looking for any and every opportunity to destroy us. We have already won the battle so why do we continue to sit in the middle of the battlefield silently?
We have the power to stand up and control, to some extent, what lies and negative thoughts the enemy puts in our heads. We have the power to filter that negativity with one glorious click. Block.
