Raise your hand if you like social media. My hand is way up because I give social media a big thumbs up. As a young journalist, I’m ultra enthusiastic about the way today’s growing social platforms connect us and inform us. And as a Christian, I’m even more enthusiastic about the ways we’re able to share gospel truth via media.
We can use social media well, or we can use it incorrectly.
But here’s the thing about social media: It’s a tool that can be used for great good, but also lots of bad. Just like any other tool, we can use it well, or we can use it incorrectly. As Christians, when we use it incorrectly, we smear our testimony for Christ. We fail to share His love and the gospel message. So girls, I want us to have hearts that desire to glorify God with our social media accounts. With this in mind, here are 5 tips for keeping your testimony on social media in check.
5 Social Media Tips
1. The Red Flag
If you find yourself typing and sharing something you’d never actually say to a person’s face, that’s a red flag. Did you know there are theories about this social phenomenon, where people become incredibly bold online? Those theories say that we feel a sense of empowerment to say just about anything, because we’re looking at a screen instead of a human face. It’s a feeling of anonymity. For a Christian, that’s bad news. Our words should always go through a filter—whether we’re speaking, tweeting, or pressing “share” on Facebook. Proverbs 13:3 says, “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” Let your mouth run wild online? You’ll find yourself in a heap of trouble. But God honors us when we guard our words.
2. Evaluate "Subtweets"
If your Twitter profile is full of “subtweets,” it might be time to evaluate your motivation for using social media. For those who don’t know what subtweeting is, let me do my best to explain. On Twitter, you can “mention” another by using their Twitter handle. But subtweeting is when you tweet about someone without using their Twitter handle, and it’s usually pretty vague, but just specific enough to get your point across. To illustrate, let’s say I tweeted this: “I’m so fed up with her attitude. Why are we even friends?” No one knows who I’m talking about, right? Subtweeting is just the norm, right? Can I shoot straight with you? Subtweeting makes my heart ache. Subtweeting, more often than not, is just plain gossip. And gossip on social media is still gossip that God calls sin. Proverbs 16:28 says that a “whisperer separates close friends.” It’s like subtweeting is what this verse calls “whispering.” It will drive a wedge between you and others, and it will cause hurt and pain in our relationships.
3. Evaluate Your Attitude
Do the words “mean” and “angry” describe your social media profiles? What about “critical” or “snobby” or “rude”? If that’s the case with any of our accounts, we need to change something. Our Twitter and Instagram and Facebook accounts all reflect who we are—and we’re called to reflect Christ. So here’s a better question: Does your social media reflect the love and grace and purity of Christ? Here’s a Scripture test based on 1 Corinthians 13 and Philippians 4:8. Ask yourself:
- Is my Twitter account patient and kind? Does it boast? Is it arrogant or rude?
- Does my Facebook account rejoice in evil? Does it reflect a heart that’s irritable and resentful?
- Is my Instagram account pure, lovely, and commendable?
Scripture calls us to a higher standard. And social media isn’t exempt from the commandments given in God’s Word. The good news is, God gives more than enough grace to enable you to honor Him! Take a look at 2 Peter 1:3.
4. Too Curious?
Has curiosity killed your cat? Have you gone down the wrong path via online search bar? There’s a lot of junk out there. And with the Internet, it isn’t difficult to find a whole heap of that junk. But sweet girl, that junk isn’t fit for a daughter of the King. If you’re wallowing in the filth of sin that you’re finding online, would you turn to Christ? He’ll make you clean again. 1 John 1:9 makes that promise. If curiousity hasn’t killed your cat, can I give you this word of warning? Don’t get curious about sin and go searching for it. Proverbs 22:3 says a wise man recognizes evil, and he runs from it.
5. Scrolling . . . and Scrolling
If you find yourself scrolling . . . and scrolling . . . and scrolling . . . it may be time for a break from social media. We were meant for so much more than scrolling down a screen with our thumbs. We’re meant to do big things for Jesus. I’m pretty guilty of being a mindless scroller. Are you? Will you join me in putting down our phones and spending that time serving and loving Jesus, instead? So what’s the verdict? Can you give your social media use a thumbs up? Or is it time to adjust some of your habits? If God has spoken to your heart about making some changes, I’d love to hear about it! Leave me a comment, and I’ll start praying for you. To sum it all up, let’s look at 1 Corinthians:
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Whatever you do. So if you tweet, or you post a photo to Instagram, or if you write a comment on Facebook, do all to the glory of God.