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‘…..Checking Instagram comments to crowdsource my self-esteem..’ lyrics in the Song ‘Saint Pablo’ by Kanye West. I think Kanye is right on point! Today’s topic of discussion: The Gift and Curse of social media. God has given man the intelligence to create social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Tik Toc, Snapchat, LinkedIn and countless others. I named those 5 specifically because I have apps for them on my phone. I use them faithfully! But it took lots of practice to learn my use of social media without wanting to use it at every waking moment of the day. There is definitely a method to the madness.

I like to use the analogy, on Sunday’s we get ready for church and put on Sunday’s best! And on social media we put on our Sunday’s best everyday too! Everyone is putting their best foot forward. Everyone seems to be incredibly happy with themselves and the lives they have created. There are endless pictures, loads of bikini pics and travel, and let’s not forget pictures of Food! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good swimsuit. But that temporary high of a false sense of self-worth is fleeting and short lived. Don’t get me wrong, some people truly are happy and those can be accurate depictions of their lives but more so than not, they are not! You do not see people posting pictures of their flaws! It’s just not kosher!

It’s easy to romanticize what other people have. Comparison is the thief of Joy! We do not know what others have gone through to obtain the success that they have. We aren’t even entirely sure if people that we idolize on social media are even happy themselves! I’m not going to lie, most people spend hours on end on social media because they are broken and are looking for an escape. A way to not deal with pain only God can heal. I used to be one of them! Problems only God can fix. When I started putting God first, I started to learn how to properly use social media! I learned that progress is not a spectator sport. In order to win at life, you’ve got to get into the game. Standing on the side lines is equivalent to endlessly posting quotes on your social media wall and expecting to be happy. It just doesn’t work that way.

Key Takeaways:

Weekend love!

I have learned to post on the last three days a week. Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s are my days to participate in social media. Sometimes I will delete the Facebook app so I have less access to it during the week. I give myself grace if I slip up and scroll a bit on Thursday evenings! I still struggle sometimes with checking it other days of the week because I am used to doing that! It’s a hard habit to break but it becomes easier when you get into a groove!

Post with a purpose!

These days, my self-worth doesn’t come from likes on social media. It’s nice to feel appreciated for wearing dope clothes or being awarded for our efforts in our careers, but my objectives for my presence on social media have drastically changed since building a relationship with God. I look to uplift more now. I want to put a smile on someone’s face! I would like for people to know that Jesus saves and they can rise from any and all adversity in life!

Prioritize!

Endless scrolling can keep us from our destiny. You have to monitor entertainment because it can keep you from your calling! The less I use social media, the more effective I am in every other area in my life. Although social media is a good marketing tool, content cannot be created unless I’m focused. Others may beg to differ but I feel totally out of control if I’m on social media for more than three days a week! I feel that everyone that uses social media has a platform to uplift. If you are reading this, my prayer is that these tips will help you to become a good steward over the platform you have been given!