Social media. What can we say about the many social media sites that can be informative and entertaining and at the same time be destructive and abusive? I know that something like this can be said about many different things in our world, however, with social media so readily available to our youth we see many things that just are frightening.
Don’t get me wrong, it is not just youth, many adults are just as bad. A few years ago, I heard a local radio personality lamenting that her friends were not “liking” her posts and it hurt her feelings. My friends, if your life is all about if your friends “like” your posts, you are probably in for a sad life! I am on social media (Obviously! If you are reading this, it is on social media!) So, I am not saying it is a bad thing, I am just wondering what is the motivation for posting something and what is the desired result you expect? The posts that amuse me the most (maybe it’s annoy, I don’t know) are the ones that end with a line like, “I bet you share this” or “type amen if you agree.” It is almost like the person posting is going to reach their goa; in shares and likes by daring others or playing on their emotions. I’m a rebel, I scroll down.
I know there has been many “challenges” on Facebook in particular, that has stormed the world. Some are amusing, some leave you asking, “Why?” While others are just plain dangerous! The latest Facebook trend is sweeping through mostly middle schools but also some high schools called the “Friendly Fade.” If you are not familiar with this particular trend, it is supposed to be two friends who agree to fight while someone records it and posts it. The idea is to get the most likes and shares. Aside form the obvious issues with this trend, the fights are not “friendly.” Many students who refused to participate have been attacked by a sucker punch or other means in order to get the video. This is a dangerous and absolutely disrespectful trend just for others to like a post. If we have to have “likes” on social media, then maybe our life is centered around the wrong thing.
I am not against social media or the internet. They have become very important tools for me and many others. We can go online and research any subject. We can communicate with others all over the world instantly. We can share information for the benefit of others. It can be an amazing tool for evangelism and Bible study. You can reach and study with people you ordinarily could not just talk to. I agree, it does make you feel good if somebody “likes” your post but that should not be your validation or what gives you (or your post) worth.
Generally speaking, people want to be liked as well. Wouldn’t be frightening and maybe even a little disheartening if people had a “like” button that others could press to indicate their approval of others? I am sure we all would have a number of likes, however, it would be those that didn’t “like” us that we would be worried about. Think about it. If talk to 10 people in a day and 9 of them say something positive to us and one says something negative, which one do we dwell on?
Friends, we need to face facts. Not everyone is going like us or our social media posts, for that matter. This should not come as a surprise because not everybody has the same taste. Everybody does not find the same things funny. Sometimes personalities just do not mesh up. Waylon Jennings famously sang, “Them that don’t know him won’t like him and them that do sometimes won’t know how to take him.” I believe that line could probably apply to everyone of us.
As Christians, being liked is not goal. As a matter of fact, Jesus plainly states that all men will hate us because of Him. We are to live a life of humble service in order to glorify God. We are to strive to be at peace with all men according to the truth of God’s word. We are to be light of the world. Nowhere does the Bible instruct us to strive for likes, not physically nor on social media!
Read Mark 13:9-13