Love it or hate it, everyone has an opinion about social media. Should Christians use it or refuse it? Should followers of Christ spend time on Facebook or instagram as tools to share the truth of Scripture or should they shun it as a waste of time? This short article will be geared towards those who use social media, but the principles mentioned can be applied to any type of communication, whether written or spoken.
A recently published book by pastor Jeff Johnson gives some helpful guidelines to consider when using social media. The title of his book is Taming the Fingers: Heavenly Wisdom for Social Media. Pastor Jeff recognizes the need to give guidelines to Christians who use social media. He writes, “Social media can be a wonderful tool to communicate, connect with people, and share a measure of our lives with one another. However, unless we understand how to use social media wisely, we will be accessories to Satan’s destructive purposes.”
I appreciate his candor on the subject. He brings years of experience as a Biblical counselor to the issue by applying principles from the book of Proverbs to how we communicate. He has a formula for Facebook (and every other type of social media) that is built around five questions that help the reader question their motives and attitude in communication. I will list each question along with a few thoughts of my own. My hope is that you’ll be impacted by what you read and go pick up a copy of the book yourself (www.heritagebooks.org)
The first question to ask when using social media is “Am I Controlled?” This is also the title of the first chapter and it is built around several Proverbs that prove the importance of self-control in communication. Proverbs 29:11 is wonderfully succinct, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” Pastor Jeff makes a good point about how different electronic communication is to others forms of speaking and writing. He writes, “The technology that has given us social media has taken away much of the quality control that governs communication.” The author makes a strong case from Scripture for believers to be cautious about what they write online. There is no special “free speech” pass for Christians to say whatever they want on the internet. God is aware of our words and direct messages, even before we write them!
The second question is “Am I Calm?” This is specifically focused on not responding out of anger online. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Pastor Jeff believes that one reason so much anger is expressed online is because people believe it will bring about change. He makes the argument that venting online rarely makes lasting change in the mind of the viewers. I would certainly agree. Christians need to remember that the ends do not justify the means. We are called to a higher standard than the world and this means we need to constantly consider our motives for what we say and write.
The next question is one that is often overlooked on social media. It is the question “Am I Careful?” Proverbs 12:11 says “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.” The author of Taming the Fingers encourages believers to calculate the risks involved in communicating online. It can be difficult to anticipate the impact a certain phrase or image may have once it is posted online. I did not realize this until I lived overseas. I came to see that many of my posts could come across as boastful and excessive to people in poorer countries or communities.
The fourth question is “Am I Compassionate?” Pastor Jeff makes an interesting point in this chapter about true compassion. He distinguishes between false compassion and true compassion as seen in Proverbs 12:10, “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.” The “mercy” of the wicked is actually false mercy or false compassion. This would be the kind of “good works” that someone does just to be seen on social media. Jesus spoke very strongly about doing righteous deeds with the right motives. He said, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:3-4
The last question is “Am I Conscientious?” The author really hits home in this chapter because he warns against acting differently online than we would in person. He writes, “How we use social media should be a matter of conscience.” We should follow the apostle Paul’s model from Acts 24:16, “So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.” This last question is very practical because it allows each person’s conscience to guide what they read and write on social media. It is possible for someone’s conscience to be weakened by what they see online. Those who use it must constantly feed themselves the truth of God’s word to make sure that their conscience is being informed by Scripture, not by worldly influences online.
I have read helpful articles and blog posts about social media before, but I think this is the best treatment on the subject because it is Biblical and practical. I appreciate how the author uses the book of Proverbs as a practical guide for communicating online. His guidelines will go a long way in helping believers engage with the “digital town square” with grace and truth.
