Avoid Pretense
“Be a good person in real life not in social media.” ~ Unknown
I get a lot of laughs when on social media. I also have a lot of sad moments. And they usually surround the same people. I laugh when I see the comments of some people that I know very well. They are “out there”, they have all the answers, they are willing to do things for others no matter the cost. The sad moments come around when I realize that they are not at all who they represent themselves and their agendas to be. I know that they would not be willing to help others and that, if they did, it would be only to get information in order to spread gossip.
Social media can be a very useful tool and an enjoyable experience. It can also be dangerous. We do not know if what is being written is true. We do not know the true nature of some people. Because of that, we can allow ourselves to be led down the wrong path by such people.
I am not saying that we should avoid social media at all costs. What I am saying is that our social media lives should directly reflect our real lives. If we portray ourselves to be good, trustworthy people on social media then, for heaven’s sake, be good, trustworthy people. Jesus spoke, several times in the Gospels, about those who lead others astray. I do not think any of us would like to be in their company when it comes to the judgment.
Too many people hide behind anonymity. Social media often gives us a chance to be very anonymous. We can say whatever we want and people might be none the wiser. After all, some of the people we see on social media are not even the people we think them to be. There are a lot of people who create false profiles. They change their names, sex, age, background, and a whole host of other things to portray what they want when they want.
I guess, for lack of a better word, we could just say: be honest. If we are honest with ourselves and with others, we will never have to worry. Honesty is intimately linked with integrity. If we are honest and practice integrity, we will please the Lord.
FAITH ACTION: Don’t try to impress people today. Instead, just do what you know the Lord would want you to do. Pleasing Him is all that matters.