New Life Blog
articles written by the staff
&
stories of the church
I clicked on the log in button and started to mindlessly scroll through my feed.
Wow, that’s beautiful… <double-tap>
I love that Bible verse… <double-tap>
How can I take photos like that?! <double-tap>
Look at those cute little kittens! <double-tap>
Oh, I want to travel there… <double-tap>
The inner dialogue continues as I mentally sort through what is inspirational, encouraging, and fun, but there are also lies, unhealthy comparisons, negativity, and boredom.
The picture is actually pretty silly. There’s Jesus on His iPhone X, scrolling His Instagram feed and double tapping pictures of his friends. “Nah,” you might say. “Jesus wouldn’t use an iPhone! He’d use His laptop, and only when He’s on break… never while He’s on the clock!”
The truth is that God, in His infinite wisdom, sent Jesus to take on flesh and live among us at just the right time, in just the right place. That wasn’t in 2018 with an iPhone and Instagram, but it’s still helpful to consider the question, What would Jesus do on social media? I think it’s equally helpful to consider what He wouldn’t do on social media.
We’re diving into what Jesus would do on social media. I believe this bold statement is broken into three very, very simple points.
He would teach. He would encourage. He would connect.
We see in Matthew 9:35 how Jesus traveled to towns proclaiming the Good News with those He came in contact with. Then, He commanded his followers to share the Good News with everyone they came in contact with (Luke 9:1-6). So, the greatest story in history was preserved as our story, as followers of Christ, today. How was it spread? It was spread through relationships (from when togas were a thing to business suits), it was spread through written Word (the Bible), and it was spread through preaching (on the steps of a temple to megachurches). Throughout all of the centuries there are two common denominators: Jesus and people.
I have a confession to make. If Facebook wasn’t part of my job at the church, I don’t think I’d get on very often. It can be depressing, frustrating, confusing, and downright annoying. Why would I want to subject myself to something like that? It feels like it’s easier to simply remove myself from it than to try and understand where people are coming from.
As followers of Christ, we see the world through a different lens. We consider our decisions not by what the world tells us, but by the standards that God has called us to. Would Jesus, the sinless Son of God, use social media if He were living among us today? You might be surprised that my answer is, “yes.”
