If it’s not obvious already, I absolutely love blogs and social media. I think God has given us tremendous resources in our day to be able to utilize in great ways to reach more people with the Gospel and to stay connected with others in ways we never could have before.
As with anything that the Lord gives us, there’s always a temptation for consequences and for things to be used the wrong way. We have a tendency as sinful people to take things that God creates, and to use them sinfully when that wasn’t His original intent. While we can stay connected to others, we might lose face to face personal relationships. While we can reach more people with the Gospel, we might be missing someone next door.
Reading or writing on a blog and using social media definitely has it’s benefits as a resource, but can never be the substitute for relationships that God puts right in front of us. Here are 3 things to be on guard for when we are online:
Remember That Scripture Is The Authority
Whether you’re reading a post here on our website or a different blog, someone’s status filled with their opinions on any topic of life, or looking through different pins that someone has posted, we all need to remember that the Bible is the ultimate authority. The Word determines what is truth and what is fake.
Anything we write here on Before The Cross, test it to Scripture. The last thing we would ever want is to mislead others with false teachings or good thoughts that ultimately won’t glorify God or do anything. When you come across other posts from people, even if it sounds good, make sure you compare it to the Bible to see if it matches up.
The danger of so much technology and resources out there is that we’ll be tempted to push the Bible to the back of the line. We must be on guard to always make Scripture the first priority and authority.
Remember To Keep Your Speech Gracious
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” – Colossians 4:6
As followers of Christ, we are called to be wise with our words. Words have the power to completely tear someone down, but can also be incredibly uplifting to others at the same time if used wisely.
All too often, we’ve all seen it…we read a post or status and it’s either trashing someone else or the comments turn into an all out war. Not only is it foolish as we proclaim Christ and then bash others, but it’s nowhere near living a life worthy of the Gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:27).
We must be careful when commenting on blog posts or through social media and think through a few things:
- Is this helpful or building up the Church?
- Am I loving the person who wrote this post or status?
- If someone read this, would they know I’m a follower of Christ?
- Would I act like this or say this to their face?
Whether we’re the author or commentator with what we are reading, how we express ourselves and the words we choose to use are important. In fact, they serve as an opportunity to glorify God and represent Christ.
Utilize Technology For His Glory
Technology is an amazing tool. God doesn’t make mistakes. He’s not shocked to see so many resources out there that we can use for the Church and the expansion of His Kingdom. I believe that He knows exactly what He’s doing and is giving us opportunity after opportunity to utilize it (if we feel Him leading us to do so) for His Glory.
What do you post on Facebook? The last time you tweeted, what was the subject about? When you post a picture on Instagram, what is your motivation behind it? As you type up your next blog post, have you considered how it represents Jesus?
These are all great questions that as believers, we should take the time to think through before we hit the post button. Just like we should consider what words we use in conversations with others, it’s no different just because we are typing them.
We can either use technology for God’s Glory or for our own. Let’s remain on guard for how we utilize it. Be encouraged that these are phenomenal tools to use for the Kingdom and let’s continue to share the Gospel and build up the Church with whatever resources that God brings our way.
Questions: How do you use technology for God’s glory? Do you find yourself thinking through what you are going to post ahead of time? Why or why not? Please comment below and join the conversation.
