The Right NOT to Post Everything on Social Media
““I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.” – 1 Corinthians 10:23 .
As Christians, we have been set free from the Law through Jesus Christ. We are no longer bound by it, however as Paul reminds us, just because we have the right to do anything doesn’t mean it is beneficial or constructive.
One particular day, as I scrolled through my Facebook feed, I saw a member of our church post a complaint (with large caps) about how people were trying to force their opinions on her, and then she proceeded to briefly share every controversial opinion she had. I commented with the question, “why do people feel like they need to post their opinions at all?” I suspect it is either because we want to be heard, or, more likely, we want to convince other people our position is right. This in turns receives responses from those who disagree with us posting their negative criticisms about our opinion, and round and round it goes. Just because we can post on Social Media whatever we want, whatever we are thinking or feeling , does that mean we should?
As Paul continues on in 1 Cor. 10:31, whatever we do should be for the glory of God. Will whatever I want to post go to the glory of God or am I just trying to vent (to thousands of people, rather than to God), or trying to convince others that my viewpoints are right (and yours are wrong)? I suppose in response someone could say to me, “well that’s your opinion, don’t shove it on me.” Fair enough, but as a follower of Jesus Christ, how is my social media presence reflecting him? As Paul wrote in Colossians 4:5-6, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders (I.e. non Christians); make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” This doesn’t mean we use salty language but that our speech is surprisingly graceful and intriguing to those who haven’t yet decided to follow Jesus so it sparks them to ask why we are the way we are, and we can answer “it is because of Jesus.”
Is our social media presence, and posts, and the “conversations” we have filled with grace? When we consider how far reaching social media is, we can’t just reel it back in, it is a permanent reflection on ourselves and Jesus. Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. The next time you post, first consider how your post will reflect on Jesus.