Intentional Social Media

By Liz Shrieve

(First in a series)

“Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” – Proverbs 13.3

Social media has caught like a fire in the wind and has taken the world by storm! We live in a crazy age where one generation knows nothing about social media, another is parenting through it, another is living in it, and another knows nothing but it.

Let me preface this blog post by saying that I am a young adult, and I understand the pressure and frustration of stereotypes that society has of social media, especially towards the millennial generation and their interaction on social media. Despite my own frustrations with social media, I will be the first to advocate for it. Social media is a place where an individual can interact with anyone in the world to create, discuss, and share information. Social media can help an individual maintain relationships with friends and family as well as make new connections and serve as an informative platform. But the problem comes when “What’s your Instagram handle?” replaces “What’s your name?” and when unfiltered, raw emotions are dealt with in public.

The Bible does not specifically address social media, obviously, because of when it was written, but people living in biblical times longed for relationships and social interaction just as we do now. Instead of turning to Instagram or their favorite blogger, those living in that era may have visited the homes of others, the synagogue and the marketplace. Their relationships were primarily face to face and extremely personal. Their visits had intention.

So, likewise, let your postings have intention. Is this post for growing a relationship, glorifying Christ, or edifying the gospel or is this post to glorify myself? What is your heart posture in posting this?

So often, social media is an outlet for me to express my opinions and raw emotions that I feel entitled to. It is so easy to step into that mind-set where we receive instant gratification and response when we are living in our fleshly desires (Galations 5:17). So, live by the Spirit. When you are posting, retweeting, commenting or sharing on social media, be sure to ask yourself these questions: Is this wise? Is this loving to myself and others? Is this glorifying to the Lord, and what is my intention?

Liz Shrieve is a full-time student at Moody Bible Institute and part-time LCC staff member. In her free time, you will often catch her at a coffee shop, soaking up sunshine rays on the river, traveling, or finding something to laugh about.