Wisdom In Social Media
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and social injustices that we have experienced within the last few months in America, there has undoubtedly been an increase in individuals’ time spent engaging on various social media platforms. Not only that, there has been a change in how people are seemingly using these platforms as well. Businesses and individuals alike have moved from using them simply as a communication tool toward using them for crucial COVID-19 updates, sharing statistics and ideas about the virus, and more recently, to speak out against the injustices we are experiencing as a country. Some accounts on these platforms are simply taking a stand, some are providing resources for furthered education, and some are going a step further and calling others to specific action.
What does this mean for the Christ follower? Can we involve ourselves on these platforms and participate in discussions while continuing to glorify Christ, and if so, how? There are a few guiding questions that can help us to exercise wisdom in our involvement with the media.
How is what I am consuming impacting the way in which I am beholding Christ?
Even before discussing how we can exercise wisdom in what we are posting, we have to ask ourselves how we are being shaped by what we consume. By asking ourselves the impact our consumption is having, we practice Romans 12:2, which tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Is all social media bad and should we avoid using it? Absolutely not. But if we believe that our behavior is transformed by what we behold (2 Corinthians 3:18), then we should make a conscious effort to behold more of Christ and less of social media.
Have I lifted these cares and concerns to the Father through prayer before taking to social media?
This question reminds me of being asked, “have you prayed about it as much as you’ve talked to your friends (or parents, siblings, etc.) about it?” The world we are living in is very clearly broken, full of heavy injustices. The temptation to post to social media about these concerns is an easy thing to do. But God cares for us more than any one of our followers or friends ever could, and we should find comfort in that. Practically speaking, this means we need to ask ourselves whether we’ve given these cares to the Lord before we’ve chosen to post about them, an action that signifies belief in what 1 Peter 5:7 tells us, that in casting our anxieties on Him, He will care for us. We can look to the many times that Jesus prayed as our perfect example for how we should be depending on God.
God, give me wisdom.
So, you’ve assessed how what you’re consuming impacts the way you behold Christ and prayed about the concerns of your heart—what now? In beginning to think about posting content to your social media feeds, the best place to start (as with all things) is to search Scripture. While the Bible might not explicitly address the use of Instagram or Twitter, it does have a lot to say about our speech and our interaction with those that are both in and outside of the faith. The book of James is rich in practical advice for us regarding both our tongue and wisdom. “If any of you lacks wisdom,” James 1:5-6 says, “let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 3 is full of advice about taming our tongue.
Even still, we could look at other books of the Bible and find they are plentiful with instruction and examples about these things. Colossians 4:5-6 provides wisdom about our interactions with those outside the faith and about our speech, saying, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” This instruction is given in light of the truth that our actions provide the basis for opportunities to share the Gospel with people. In this digital age, before we choose to interact with the media so readily available at our fingertips, we must first search the Scriptures and ask the Father to give us wisdom.
Does what I am about to post accurately represent and articulate what I believe about Christ and the Bible, and how is what I am posting going to help lead others in their beholding Him?
As topics trend on social media platforms, we are tempted to quickly follow suit. But before jumping on a trending topic, it is important to discern how what we’re going to post communicates what we believe about the Gospel. We’ve seen this in the George Floyd case, where the vast majority is (rightfully) outraged by the acts of injustices against Black lives for centuries. But as believers, we know that the root of these problems is sin with only one solution—the Gospel. So while the believer and outsider alike might be outraged by the injustice of racism, what we as believers communicate about this injustice on our social media platforms and in our discussions should look different. (You can read more about Doxa’s beliefs regarding the current injustices at the link below.) While incredibly applicable in this season, this question transcends the world’s current events and can be asked of anything we are considering posting.
Does what I am posting confirm or contradict my daily, real life interactions with people apart from social media?
This is truly a multifaceted question that, again, transcends the world’s current events, but is extremely applicable to them. Using current events as an example, there are many people posting about the racism we’re witnessing and calling for change. But do those posts line up with how those same people are acting on the other side of the screen? Our posts and our actions should align, not contradicting one another, especially if we’ve worked through all the questions above and are utilizing our platform to help others behold Christ. Even still, the previous questions should help us determine whether we are posting about a topic because it is the socially accepted and “popular” thing to do or because we truly believe the images and words we put on our feeds. While social media didn’t exist at the time it was written, we can again look at Colossians 4:5-6. If what we post contradicts our daily life, that has the great potential to hinder opportunities for us to share the hope of the Gospel with those we come in contact with.
Social media has great potential to aid us in ushering the kingdom of heaven here on earth when we use it with wisdom and discernment. It allows us a quick and easy way connect and communicate with individuals who we might not otherwise be able to, but we must strive to represent the Gospel through it so as not to harm our witness to a watching world.
Written by Taylor Bumgarner, Covenant Member