“For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.”
James 3:2b
I know that what I am about to write might bother some people and others might think I’m exaggerating, but I believe the way we express ourselves and the conversations we have matter.
It’s quite easy and for some people it’s even fun to upset others on social media, as for me, I decided not to be part of those conversations anymore. I’m sure many will not understand my decision and might even judge me for it, some might say it’s ridiculous, over the top, too religious of me, etc. but one must ask “what is important to me” and I do not know about other believers but my wife and I made a decision to be congruent between what we say we believe and how we live.
Those who know me remember me as one who loves to argue and as I once post in a blog, I would rather win an argument than a friendship, and that’s wrong but we must not let our past mistakes define who we are and who we can become, we cannot go thru life with a “this is who I am” or “I have always been this way” attitude, God calls us to change, to grow, to mature, not to imitate this world.
”Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect..”
Romans 12:2
What really gets me is how we are miss using our time, our words, God called us to speak life not death, He called us to lift one another, to love each other, not to tear us apart on Facebook.
Of course I can’t tell you what to do with your life, what to post or not, God gave you freedom, but what I would like to do is to invite you to be a better steward of the things God has entrusted you and that includes your social media, let’s not forget that we might be the only Bible one gets to read, your life might be the only witness of the Gospel to one of your friends (or their friends), what are your friends being exposed to on your timeline? on your Twitter feed? Are we being light? Are we being a good example?
It hasn’t been easy for me to take this step forward, to avoid the arguments, it’s not easy to against your impulses but one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control and it was about time for me to allow the Spirit to do what He does best… transform me.
“But no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.”
James 3:8-12