Five biblical guidelines on how to use social media responsibly and avoid the 'trap'
Based on reflections on Colossians 4:6 and Matthew 5:27-30.
Here is a confession - I have a love-hate relationship with social media, especially Facebook and Instagram!
I went from actively posting and consuming content on all the major social media platforms to taking a break that lasted almost three years, around mid-2021 or early 2022.
It was the right decision for me at that time. It gave me the opportunity to have a heart check of my intentions and an honest re-evaluation of my ambitions.
Fast forward to 2024, and I started to feel the nudge to get back on and create content again. It took almost another year before I finally responded to that nudge. This time, I was determined to learn from my past mistakes and do it the right way.
As a follower of Jesus, I turned to Him for guidance. As I searched through the bible, I found some helpful guidelines. I will share a few with you.
Here are five biblical guidelines on how to use social media responsibly and avoid the ‘trap.’
These are based on reflections from Colossians 4:6 and Matthew 5:27-30.
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person
Colossians 4:6 ESV
27 “You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.’
28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
Matthew 5:27-30
One:
Let your content and responses always embody grace and wisdom. When triggered, first forgive, then respond thoughtfully and confidently if necessary.
Jesus was having a conversation with the Pharisees (Matthew 12:34), and he made the following statements, which best explain this first guideline:
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak” (or in this case, the fingers type). What you say (or type/record) will reveal the state of your heart.
“…people will give account for every careless word they speak”. Your words carry a lot of weight, and you can be held responsible for the consequences, good or bad. When you release them into the world, what happens next may be out of your control.
“…by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” What you say or write can be used for or against you, for good or evil intentions.
Two:
Let your content communicate your core values to everyone as a witness that you are following the One who has immeasurable love for all humans.
Jesus gave His disciples a “new commandment” in John 13:34-35 - “just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this people will know you are my disciples”. This love is deeper than a feeling or emotion, it is a type of sacrificial love.
Would you be willing to lay down your right to fight for yourself when someone misunderstands or misinterprets your content? Especially if you have tried everything to make peace and explain your perspective?
Three:
When you spend more time on social media content than on your love for the Lord, it could be time to take a break.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He responded that the great and first commandment was to “ love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:34-40).
If you start to notice that you spend more time on social media than all other spiritual practices (like praying, reading the bible, and so on), it could be a sign that your love for the Lord has been misplaced. You may need to reorder your priorities.
Four:
Any content that will influence your heart and thoughts negatively to make wrong decisions or to sin, you should run away swiftly.
The expression to tear out your right eye or to cut off your right hand is an example of Jesus using strong visual language to emphasize the importance of the point He was teaching - do not let anything or anyone influence you to make choices you will regret later.
What you see (your eyes) will always influence your actions (your hands). If you sense something is wrong about the content, it is most likely the Holy Spirit signaling that it is not good for you!
Five:
No one is too sacred; if their content distracts you from the foundations of the faith, unfollow quickly!
In John chapter 10, Jesus uses two figures of speech to describe how we discern who to follow - “shepherd” and “thief/robber”
A “shepherd” protects and cares for the sheep (representing followers of Jesus), and they are willing to lay down their lives for the sheep just like the good shepherd (representing Jesus). The good shepherd provides abundant life for the sheep - a life of flourishing, joy, and peace.
A “thief/robber” only cares about what they can get from the sheep, because they are driven by selfish ambition. They are influenced by “the thief” (the devil), whose job description is to “steal, kill, and destroy”.
If the content you consume is not moving you towards the good life of Christlike character, it may be time to evaluate whether you should keep following such a person.
To add some balance, this is not about following only professing Christians or ‘Christian content creators’ alone. There are many non-Christians on social media with good, valuable content based on their knowledge and expertise in certain subject matters.
You are powerful to choose whom you follow and what type of content to consume.
Would you be willing to have a honest evaluation of your social media use and figure out what you want? Your soul is too valuable to allow just any junk content to shift your character formation from the way of Christ.
In the words of Jesus - “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Mark 8:36-37 NIV)