Remember the days when Facebook was a fun place to “meet up” with friends, stalk your crush (don’t even act like you never did that! lol), write on someone’s wall to tell them how much you miss them? Remember when it was a place for staying connected with friends who were too far to see and catch up with in person?

Now days, it seems as though Facebook (and other social media sites) exists for the bringing down of others-where we make it okay to gossip and passive aggressively call out each other, it’s become a place where “the news” is shared-but funny enough, that so called news only highlights the negative things that are taking place in the world-all of which are also one-sided.

As I scrolled through my Facebook feed this morning I sensed myself becoming angry at the things I was exposing myself to by being on Facebook! I’ve sensed this coming for a little while now, but today seemed different.

There is certainly a lot of crazy things going on in the world-there’s racism (which isn’t something new but we’re acting like it is), terrorist attacks, elections, celebrities with PERSONAL opinions, and so much more… But here’s my struggle, we as Christians participating in the things that say-there is no hope, this world is TOO far gone, people (even celebrities) aren’t worthy to be loved. WE respond in fear and hopelessness.

So here’s my plea for all my brothers and sisters in Christ on social media, we have the opportunity to speak hope in hopeless situations-I’m not saying don’t share the injustices that are taking place or the tragedies that come with being in this broken world- what I am saying is that we can’t continue to turn our backs on the fact that God is good, alive, and WORKING! Go read the book of numbers and see just much we are the Israelites.

I beg that we refrain from posting articles that attack people, videos and pictures  of pornographic images so that we can puff up our chests and judge. The truth is-God loves them JUST AS MUCH as He loves us. When we go to post something, let’s think of the message we’re sending to the world and stop to think about what we’re saying AND not saying by posting those articles. Please, lets work together to guard each other’s hearts from these things. We are called to live above reproach and even so we have HOPE in Christ- let’s share that, because in case you haven’t noticed, the world is feeling pretty hopeless right now.

Three things to consider before posting on social media:

1. Where is my heart? What’s my response to this situation and what do I want to tell the world about it? Am I trying to stir up strife or bring reconciliation?
2. Am I bringing people to consider God in this situation as I post?
3. What am I saying about what I believe about God by posting this (this can even be as the tagline of your post)

What an opportunity we have to be alive in the days where we can use our social media platforms to communicate the gospel of Christ to the world beyond those we know. We have a chance to respond, not in fear, but in faith to what’s going on in the world, to promote self-love without insinuating hate of others, to speak up against injustices with the confidence that God is STILL Lord over all.