Responsible Use of Social Media

Introduction:

Why or What made me write this article

1.I saw a born again friend of mine posting pictures of his relationship with a lady,yet the ledearship was
not informed and some of us got to know it through fb.Yet we have biblical standards on how to carry
ourselves when in relashionship.With the advent of social media these issues became a challenge.

2.I also saw a born again friend post some graphic pictures of some people who got accident on fb,yet if
you you a person who reads news or watches news on tv,these kind of pictures are usually blurred
because of journalistic standards,so I asked myself how am I portrayed by these issues as a child of God?

Did God ever envisage the technological era as we are it experiencing today?
Man, because of his/her limitation tends to think that God is not informed or involved by current events
i.e. He is caught by surprise. On the contrary, God is Eternal. He operates above the time we are living in,
He is the creator of time, hence we need to always remind ourselves that He is the CREATOR and
nothing man invents(in this case internet/social media) takes Him by surprise.

If you go to the bible you will not get the word social media /internet,but that does not mean He has not
addressed these issues.Basically,internet/social media are tools.Just as we use panga ,slasher or
Jembes,that what social media is..a tool.That means it can helps us improve our living or we can misuse
it and destroy our lives.

No one ever thought of us using bible applications in our phones but. Walla!!..thats what we are using
now and they are very helpful.Tools have a purpose but can be misused as we have said .So what we
should address ourselves to..is the Man who uses the tool.The tools are not Inherently evil or good ,but
it is man who is Good or Bad.

We know that the Bible says All men have sinned have fallen short of Glory of God ..hence man nature is
a sinner,but Christ came to save as for our sinful nature.Hence for us who are born again because Christ
lives in us ,He is able to help us what comes our way ,regardless,to use it for his glory.

Born again Christian should be wise/responsible in using internert/social media,and we discover that it is
the state of our hearts that will determine how well we fair on on the use of it.If we let the word of God
rule our hearts we will have a good harverst and what will come out of us will be pleasant.(Mat 13:18
parable of the sower)
To the people of the world ,whatever God speaks in the word it is foolishness to them (1Cor
2:14),because they are not born again and the Spirit of God is not In them.

Sometime young people tend to think that they should be exempted for God’s word so that they be free
to do what they like..but no..think about it..there is no heaven for old people or young people..heaven is
just one ..for all of us..hence God’s standards are the same,He is not partial and does not play
favouritism(Acts 10:34, Deut 10:17, 2Chr 19:7)

Why it is that social media

appeals/Charms/Allures/Draws/Fascinates/Captivates/Attracts so much to
teens/young people even some adults?
Because of…IDENTITY /SELF ESTEEM/VALUE (WORTH)

Teens are in a stage of developing their personal identity, discovering there value/worth. All of these
have a direct impact on their self-esteem.

A person who knows their identity and worth in Christ ,will face life confidently , regardless of what
comes his/her way, because his/her trust is not in things or people who do not last but in the living God
who is everlasting.

It is important to know and differentiate what God says about you and what the system of the world is
saying about you through social media.The System of the world is controlled by the Devil hence he can
peddle lies and you end up swallowing them for your own peril.

At times we look for approval e.g. the likes on fb..And when we don’t get them it depresses us. Basically
we are under pressure to conform to the standards on social media (World).

That is the greatest danger, because it robs us of our worth in Christ.

We have to be conscious when we are using internet/Social media and tell God or even make a
covenant with God that we will be responsible in using it.

ASPECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

POSITIVE ASPECTS

1. Self-Education

2. Reconnecting with people afar of /Old friends

3. Research
 4. Sharing Gospel

5. Influence views of others by what we post

6. Encourage

NEGATIVE ASPECTS

1. Approval/Affirmation

2. Not following Biblical principles

3. Danger of Narcissism

4. Addiction

5. Can be used against you e.g. CV/Resume

Whenever I want to post something my guiding principle is in Phillipian 4:8 and

1Thesallonians 5:22

We should be Balanced, and not go to both extremes.

The Only Thing that stays constant is change.