FEATURE
Your social media self What I would share or not share
BY AMANDA SOH
OUR LIVES REVOLVE AROUND the Internet – we wake up to our phone ringing , check emails or log on to Facebook , and go to bed reading the news on our phone . Inevitable as it is , we have moved into the digital age .
Zooming into our own lives , with our profiles on different social media platforms , how should we as Christians present ourselves ? We should be vigilant of what we post , share and comment on all of our social media platforms – Facebook , Instagram , Snapchat , etc .
Your profile
Unlike my peers , I tend to keep my opinions to myself , and not post them on any of my social media platforms . There are a few reasons as to why I don ’ t voice out or share posts on ‘ controversial ’ topics such as politics .
Are you stumbling others ?
I would question myself – " Would I stumble others with what I am about to share or with my comments ?" A perfect example of who we should look to is Paul , who wrote in his letter to the people in Corinth . In 1 Corinthians 8 , Paul addressed the concerns of the faminestruck people of Corinth on whether they could eat the food that was offered to idols . He opens with “ We all possess knowledge ” ( v1 ); the word ‘ knowledge ’ in verse 1 and the following verses after refers to the understanding of the futility of worshipping idols . However , not every one in the church knew of this ‘ knowledge ’ and they persisted in their beliefs that consuming the food offered to idols was prohibited .
Paul was trying to make a nuanced point — that even if eating the food offered to the idols was not wrong , the Corinthians had to be careful of not stumbling those who had no such ‘ knowledge ’. In verses 9 and 10 , Paul explicitly explained and questioned the Christians in Corinth , “ Be careful , however , that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak . For if someone with a weak conscience sees you , with all your knowledge , eating in an idol ’ s temple , won ’ t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols ?” ( NIV ) He then told them not to eat the meat if it were to cause their brothers and sisters to sin . Likewise , don ’ t post or share anything that might cause your brothers or sisters in Christ to sin .
Encourage others
As a church , we are to encourage one another in this long journey we have in Christ . Community for me is so important and I consistently tell myself “ no man ’ s an island ” in this Christian marathon we are on . You can find verses that remind the church time and time again to encourage and build one another up in Christ . ( 1 Thess . 5:11 , Col . 1:28 )
As you know , social media is able to reach the hundreds and thousands of masses – so why not share the Good News with your friends who might not know what Christ has done for them on the cross for their sins – rather than the bad news we read every day in the news . Don ’ t stop sharing your opinions ; post or comment on what is close to your heart but think of others before yourself .
ASIAN ASIAN BEACON BEACON 48 # 148 December # 1 December 2016 2016 - January - January 2017 201721 21