Social Media.

It’s consuming our lives.

Social Media gives us a window into each others lives, and a platform to speak our opinions.

But Social Media has also become a curse to many.

It’s in Social Media a persons entire reputation, even their lives, can be ripped to shreds in hours with nothing but tweets.

[Tweet ” in Social Media a persons #reputation can be ripped to shreds in hours with nothing but #tweets”]

I’ve seen story after story of people who have had their lives ruined by social media shares, in an instant, in hours.

And we all know the stories about the fallen, those who’s moral failings were made public for all to see.

The purpose of this post is to call each of us to really examine how we use Social Media. What we say, what we share, and whether we are honoring God with these accounts.

I regularly see behavior that is inappropriate for a Christ follower, and often times this behavior is coming from people I know and respect as strong Christians.

Why the blind spot?

Do we not think our words, our shares, hidden behind the anonymity of a computer screen, matter?

It matters.

I’ve spoken before about the power of words, and now more than ever we can see how they can destroy lives. Even more than that, what are we doing when we speak, or even share links, about others? There is a name for it.

It’s called gossip.

A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. Proverbs 16:28

A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks to much. Proverbs 20:19

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity … They are gossips, slanderers, God haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; … they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Romans 1:29-30

We love to share the latest shocking thing, and yes, I’ve done it too, to my shame.

It needs to stop.

[Tweet “We love to share the latest shocking thing. It needs to stop.”]

If you are not immediately affected, specifically involved, personally knowledgeable of this person, let me make it clear:

It is not your business.

I don’t care who it is, you are not giving anyone a service by sharing the details of another persons private lives. You are only participating in the tearing down of a real live person, and whether they deserve it or not, it is not your place.

We may feel even more justified in the share if it is about a politician, as if it is our civic duty to drag their reputation through the mud.

Seriously?

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Romans 13:1

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority; whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to the governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.  Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. 1 Peter 2:13-15, 17

And before you say that the leaders you are talking about couldn’t possibly be God established, the leaders in the day these words were written were persecuting and killing the saints.

If your words, and social shares, dishonor or slander a person, you are dishonoring God.

[Tweet “If your #words, and social shares, dishonor or slander a person, you are #dishonoringGod.”]

Lets remember what standards that we are to judge our actions by, our minds, our words.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Even in something like our social media accounts, we need to remember to ask ourselves, are our words honoring God?

Would we share it, if God was reading?

[Tweet “Would we #share it, if #God was reading?”]

Joy Aletheia Stevens