Social Media.....It's the way of the world today. Some love it and some hate it but regardless of how you feel about it, we are addicted to it. (Just being honest). We share the LOVELY. We share our "perfect" families. We share our best selfies. We share our homes..(the parts of them that we want to show you) ..we share joy....we share uplifting messages....we share meme's (is that what they are called) - we share what we had for breakfast, lunch and or dinner ...we share and share and share....BUT...do we ever share the real....the ugly....the sadness....the house is mess.....the family isn't getting along.....and all the rest of real life. I like to call it taking off our masks. We have "friends" on Facebook, but really, truly, most really aren't our "friends." Right? They are acquaintances. Real friends and family are the people you share REAL LIFE with. Real friends you share your hurts, sadness and sorrows. Typically, most people don't do that on social media. And then there are the lurkers...but they are here too everyday. Maybe not posting but reading and reading and reading and liking and liking and liking.
My friends and I talk about this a lot and although I, personally love Facebook and many of it's positive uses, I am just as guilty of showing the GOOD side but wouldn't really want people to come into the "ugly!" But why? Isn't that the REAL stuff too? Don't we connect better with others when we are real and when we take off the masks? We do. I know we do. Then we have the braggers. Huh???? Who are you calling a bragger you say???? Well, for starters I would say that about me. Sharing all things lovely......why? Sharing vacation pics? Why? Like really, truly, does anyone other than me care about my vacation pictures? Does anyone care if I got a new this or that? Nope. I'm pretty certain I'm speaking for everyone here. So why do we do it? Why do I? Is it validation? Is it to show I'm as good as you? Is it my way of "keeping up with Joneses?" Ummm....I want to say "no...I wouldn't do that, but don't I? Don't we Facebook junkies do that?
Don't get me wrong, I really do love social media. I think God is here. Why do I think that? Because He is everywhere. The world is changing and social media is another way of sharing the Gospel message. God can and does use any means He chooses to get the message of salvation out. I have no doubt, in this day and age, God would want us to share Him here on Facebook too. But I'm pretty certain, some of what I post, which may hurt another person or make them feel sad, isn't what God would want me to do. It may seem innocent enough to me, but to someone who is lonely, is on the outs with their family, is poor, is sick etc., seeing my "LOOK AT ME" posts isn't really what they need. Now saying that, I actually love seeing some people's vacation pics. Especially family and close friends. I really do. But that isn't what I'm blogging about here. Just speaking to what most of us feel about Facebook and yet continue to come back to it over and over and over again.
I will continue to use Facebook in God honoring ways, but I will really try to be sensitive to what I post. Is it God honoring or "Mary Jo" honoring?
God's Word tells me to "not think of myself more highly than I ought." Maybe, just maybe, I do that a little bit. 😞😞
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