Christian, give your thumbs a rest
The rise of social media has become a phenomenon that is hard to capture in full. It has become a source of truth. Whether it be relative or absolute, truth floats around for (potentially) millions to see and decipher. At any given moment, I have the freedom and ability to tweet about my anger against a political leader.
This is dangerous.
It is no secret that social media has become the most emotionally hostile, hateful environment on the planet, and yet people can’t stop scrolling. If you need an example, open your Twitter app today and read the comments on anything political, religious, or sensitive in current events. You will find the darkest parts of man in 160 characters or less.
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My plea to you is simple, but I truly believe it is essential. You must give your thumbs a rest.
There are three reasons that I implore you to comment and post less on social media.
Speaking hastily can ruin your Christian witness
All too often, we see people post things they end up regretting. Many careers have been tarnished over careless comments and snide remarks on social media. For Christians, it is no different. Perhaps one of the most far-reaching signs of your faith in Jesus (or lack thereof) is found in your feed. We must, then, ask ourselves a diagnostic question. Is what I share, comment, or post something that would put my faith into question?
In an age of overexposure, the Christian should exercise patience and humility, taking care to tie the Gospel to every issue. Not only are friends and family watching, the world is. That’s the astonishing thing about a social media post; anyone who stumbles upon it will develop an opinion of you, and only you have the chance to regulate that.
Undoubtedly, what you post will bring about some negative response–especially if you have a large following base. I don’t mean that you shouldn’t post anything ever. Christians should be the light in a dark web of opinions and intolerance. Be ready for pushback, and be well-versed in what you post and re-post.
Whatever you post, feathers will be ruffled
Regardless of pure intentions and well-used Scripture, you will be faced with two kinds of controversy about the things you post: controversy from Christians and from non-Christians.
One phenomenon that grieves me is the way that Christians treat each other on social media. There are times that I scroll through Twitter or Facebook and see the most insulting, hateful comments–and they’re coming from Christians! The comment section of a theological post can often look more ugly than that of a political one. Don’t believe me? Try posting about whether or not women should be pastors. Just like that, Christians will likely cease to imitate Christ in an attempt to defend a biblically “gray” area.
On the other hand, controversy will be sparked among non-Christians. This is expected, of course. Elevating the authority of Scripture requires everyone else to step down from the pedestal. Even so, taking a bold stance on the abortion argument or the discussion of race must be done in love and gentleness. Christians (should) know what the love of Christ is, and should reciprocate that love with each other. Those who don’t know Christ–His glory, Lordship, love, and salvation–need Him to be well-represented. For the sake of the Gospel, tame yourself. Humility has never been seen in merely debunking falsehoods; unless the love of Christ bridles your words, you will not win any battles you fight, online or otherwise.
You can delete it, but it will last forever
One of the devastating truths of social media is that it lasts “forever.” I think of a song by Jon Foreman called The Valley of the Shadow of Planned Obsolescence in which one of the lyrics says, “here’s a fact, yes, the internet’s just a fad. I only give it a couple more thousand years or so.” In an artistically sarcastic way, the lead singer of Switchfoot makes the claim that though the internet won’t last for eternity, it will not be going anywhere in this lifetime. Yes, you have the ability to make a private account and to delete posts you don’t want on your feed anymore, but the things you post will, at the very least (and most importantly), have an impact on those that read them.
Turning to the Proverbs of the Bible gives wise insight that we can all heed in conclusion:
“An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, but the righteous escapes from trouble.From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good.” (Prov. 12:13-14).
Take caution that your words do not ensnare you, but are satisfied with good, “a fountain of life” for those around you (Prov. 10:11).
Justin Bower is a student at Liberty University pursuing a degree in American Sign Language Interpretation with a minor in Biblical Studies. When he's not writing op-ed articles for The Liberty Champion or other Christian news sources, he writes for his personal blog and record/produce a podcast called Beggar & Bread.
