Food For Thought

HT: Tim Challies

What Your Friends' Social Media Isn't Telling you

What Instagram Isn’t Telling You by Pete Wilson

Someone once said that people are like icebergs; most of who we are is hidden below the surface. Nowhere is that more true than when thinking about the topic of fear and failure.

Consider this: In a typical day, how many of the people you interact with mention their greatest fear or something they’re struggling with? I would guess the answer, at least for most of us, is “not many” or “none.”

Most of us try, to some extent, to present a brave face to the world. When we pass somebody in the hall at work and they ask “how’s it going?” we usually respond “good, how about you?” If you strike up a conversation with somebody in the car pool or at a chance encounter at the mall, they’ll most often leave you with the impression that everything is rolling along pretty smoothly.

In fact, it requires pretty dire circumstances for most of us to admit to anybody that we are dealing with something bad or that we are fearful about the future.

We take the same approach on social media, posting the best picture of our wife and kids when really we just had a big blowup and slept on the couch last night. Or we put filter after filter on the picture of the salad we ate this afternoon (the first salad in months…) so we look like health nuts or foodies.

This, often times, leads us to conclude, during our times of anxiety and difficulty, that we must be weird, messed up, or otherwise unusual. After all, everybody else is doing well— they told you so! But the fact is that many— if not most— of the people around you are keeping their own problems, fears, and anxieties hidden below the surface, which allows us to inaccurately assume that we are the only ones experiencing conflict or adversity.

Does that seem odd to you?

It’s so easy for us to assume everyone else has their life together, but when we think of our own situations, we see them in the form of worst-case scenarios.

I have two pieces of good news for you:

1. You are not the only one who slept on the couch last night! And I can guarantee your college roommate’s life isn’t as perfect as the Instagram-filtered version.
2. Whatever is going on in your life, you can choose, right now, to focus on God. You can remember that your help comes from God, not from you. And God is bigger than any fear you are facing right now, no matter what it is.

Some Facebook Sins To Avoid

Are you guilty of any of these social media sins? - 5 Things Christians Should Stop Saying On Facebook by J.P. Jones:

Despite the flaws of social media, it can be a powerful force to share God’s amazing love over the long run. Our witness can be deeply powerful when our unbelieving friends see our continued faithfulness year after year and our hope of glory in the midst of pain (Colossians 1:27).

But that doesn’t mean everything we share on Facebook contributes to this witness. In fact, there are some types of updates we Christians share that, for the most part, do more damage than good.

Here are five status update traps to avoid:

1. Pastor So-and-So is a Big Ol’ Heretic

Imagine, if you will, your unbelieving friends tap into their Facebook app, and the first update they see is you complaining (again) about that pastor you love to complain about. You know the one. You mention, for the third time this week, another thing he taught that is heretical, and you make sure everyone knows it.

First of all, we absolutely must call out false teaching. Jesus laid the groundwork for this when He rebuked the Pharisees and scribes for their hypocrisy (Matthew 23). Paul and John weren’t afraid to point out many false teachers in their letters. So, that’s not the issue.

The issue is that your unbelieving friends don’t know all this. What they see, instead, is one Christian attacking another Christian for what seems like a minor matter. Such updates make it look like we spend most of our time beating each other up instead of doing that “love thing” we claim to do. (Think about how Pilate and other Roman officials responded to the complaints the Jews brought against Jesus and Paul. They didn’t see the difference; they just saw what looked like petty jealousy and bickering to them.)

Calling out false teaching is much better done in personal settings with other believers or in a private way with someone who isn’t a believer—and usually when you have time to really explain. The context is very important here. Slapping it all over Facebook makes the church seem hypocritical and hyper-judgmental.

2. Some People Just Don’t Know How Much Pain They Cause

Trust us. We get it. Someone talks about you behind your back or lies to your face. It makes you mad. You want to vent, but you don’t necessarily want to give all the details to everyone. So, up on Facebook goes a passive-aggressive post that you hope the person sees.

Maybe they will, or maybe they won’t. Either way, this isn’t what Jesus meant about us approaching that person privately to discuss the problem (Matthew 18:15–18). More than likely, you’ve made your innocent friends feel like maybe they were the ones who hurt you in some way, but they don’t know how. Now they’re paranoid.

If you need to vent, do it to someone you trust in person so that they can bear your burden (Galatians 6:2). Don’t post that vague status update.

3. Something Terrible Just Happened to So-and-So. Please Pray for the Family.

Requests for prayer can be very tricky matters on Facebook. For one thing, always-on Internet means that we can now get updates in seconds. That adds a new level of responsibility, especially in tragedy.

When something bad happens, we want people to be praying for those involved. That’s a good thing. But if we post an update about it on Facebook as soon as it happens, there’s a very good chance that family members and close friends who haven’t been notified yet could get the news through cold digital bits along with lots of strangers. That makes it even worse—especially if they don’t know all the details. At that point, our prayer request doesn’t bring the comfort we’re supposed to bring (1 Corinthians 1:3–4).

It’s much better for us to hold off on the post until we’re sure everyone knows the news (but see the next point). If you need to get prayer warriors going, text or call them directly.

If Easter Happened Today....

...which is why He came "in the fullness of time" and not now.

Golden Rule

HT: Ed Stezer

Get On-Line...But Don't Be A Jerk About It

10 Tips for Christian Leaders Who Don’t Want To Become Self Promoting Jerks Online - By Mark Sayers

Social Networking can be a fabulous tool for leaders to advance the kingdom. However like so many other things it can also lead us into dangerous territory if unexamined.

Below are some tips on how to use social networking well in our celebrity obsessed, image based culture without falling into the sin of pride. I have probably broken several at times, but hopefully they will be of help to you.

1) Avoid being a fame-vampire. Just because you had coffee with someone well known doesn’t mean that you have to tweet about it. We tend to do this because sub-consciously believe that if we broadcast the fact that we are associating with someone well known, that their fame/influence will rub off on us.

Would you be willing to tweet that you just met with a person who had no influence or social capital?

2) Don’t add to the Hubbub. We live in a culture of incredible distraction. Just because we can broadcast to thousands the first thought that comes into our head doesn’t mean that we have to. Just communicate the important stuff.

By refraining from the cacophony you just might give others space and silence. Is your broadcasting of the mundane robbing others of the silence they need to encounter God?

3) Real life Followers>Online followers.

4) Platform never beats spiritual authority. Lot of people talk about platform these days. Platform sells books, generates hits and followers and results in speaking requests. However platform doesn’t always equate with spiritual authority.

You can have a massive platform with little spiritual authority, and you can have significant spiritual authority and a terrible Klout score.

5) Promote resources not yourself. Beware the thin line between selling books, resources, events, Churches, others you wish to champion, ministries you believe in and selling yourself.
Do your social networking patterns push people towards resources that will build up their faiths, or are you allowing some of the glory to bounce off onto you?

6) Avoid humblebrags. Don’t ever use the hashtag #humbled. My friend Amy said to me the other day that if someone uses the hashtag #humbled there is a 90% chance they are bragging.
We know deep down that social networking naturally tilts towards self promotion, so we try and self promote whilst trying to be humble, check out the humblebrag feed on twitter to see why this approach doesn’t work.

7)Ask the dangerous question ‘why?’ Before posting always ask yourself ‘why am I posting this instagram pic/tweet/status update?’ Deeply search your heart for your true motivations. If you struggle with this find a social networking accountability buddy who will ask you the tough questions.

8) Take breaks. Take regular technology sabbaths. This is one of the best ways to ensure that you keep social networking as a tool rather than an idol.

9) Be Patient with God. God will advance your ministry if he so desires in His good time. Just because we live in a time where it is easy to push our own carts does not mean that we need to. Both the bible and history is littered with the tragic tales of people whose influence exceeded their spiritual development.

10) Track your time. Keep a track of how much time you are devoting to social networking. Not just in real minutes and hours but also in mental energy. Do you find yourself thinking about what you could say online when you are even off line? Are you robbing your family, friends and neighbours of your complete presence and attention? Sit down and plan how much time you wish to spend a week online and stick to it.

Avoiding On-line Self-Promotion

Some good counsel from Mark Sayers, author of the new book, Facing Leviathan: Leadership, Influence, and Creating in a Cultural Storm, (By way of Justin Taylor)

1. Avoid being a fame-vampire.
2. Don’t add to the Hubbub.
3. Real life Followers>Online followers.
4. Platform never beats spiritual authority.
5. Promote resources not yourself.
6. Avoid humblebrags.
7. Ask the dangerous question ‘why?’
8. Take breaks.
9. Be patient with God.
10. Track your time.

You can read an explanation of each point here.

10 Commandments for Social Media

Kevin DeYoung posted these "Ten Commandments for Twitter."  I'd say they apply to blogs and Facebook also. Enjoy!

And the Lord of Twitter spoke all these words saying, I am the Lord your God, who gave thee computers and tablets and smartphones, the Holy One of all social media who foreknew the internet before the foundation of the earth, yea even before Al Gore was born:

Thou shalt worship others gods before Twitter. Take heed lest ye waste your life 140 characters at a time. What shall it profit a man if he has 100,000 followers and forgets what it means to follow me?

Thou shalt not assume the worst about the tweets of others. Careful qualifications and robust explanations are not to be expected in two sentences. Cuttest thine enemies some slack.Kevin DeYoung posted these 10 Commandments for Twitter. I'd say they apply to blogs and Faceboo

Thou shalt not take the name of thine own person too seriously. If thou art prone to feeling offended at every turn and to feeling sorry for thyself publically before others, I beseech thee to gettest thou over it. To tweet like an eight-year-old is an abomination before me.

Remember thine hyperlinks, to keep them holy. Three things are a nuisance to others, four things are always to be avoided: broken links, trashy videos, rickrolling, and linking to thine own article 17 times in the same day.

Honor thy father and thy mother and all others to whom honor is due. Let thy tweets be full of encouragement and praise. Find what is commendable and commend it before others. Forgettest not that athletes and politicians are real people too. And rememberest thou that thy parents and pastors can read thy tweets.

Thou shalt not humblebrag. Better to be humble and say nothing or to brag and say everything, than to fool no one but thine own conscience.

Thou shalt not disguise self-congratulation in the form of lamentation. If thou shouldst mention before a multitude, and with conspicuous disappointment, that thou wast the only one white person who entered a float for Nelson Mandela Appreciation Day or that it breakest thine heart to think about the church’s responsibility for the Crusades, small shall be thy reward in heaven.

Thou shalt not make public demands of complete strangers. Calling upon others to respond to thy blog or denounce the evil thou refusest to put to rest is like unto social media terrorism. It is a constant dripping on a day of steady rain.

Thou shalt not retweet thine own awesomeness. The decree to “Let another praise you, and not thine own mouth” shall not be loosed all thy days. It is a perpetual statute, even unto the age of Twitter. Let it be a light unto thy path, to guard thy head from swelling and thy friends from cringing.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s klout; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s retweets, or his followers, or his hip Instagram photos, or his travel complaints, or his mentions, or anything belonging to thy neighbor.

If Joseph and Mary Had Used Facebook....

 HT: Igniter Media,  The Master's Table

The Journey Continues on Facebook

All the content from this blog can also be found on Facebook. Just "like" The Journeyman's Files page... and you don't even have to "friend" me to read it.
   

The Act of Contrition Via Internet

From politicalcartoons.com

Other Social Media Connections

Did you know you can access this blog on Facebook  -The Journeymans Files.? Yes you can! I'm also on Twitter @bg_simmons.

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Journeyman on Facebook

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Monday Twitter Gleanings

From my Twitter Feed:

RT @MichaelMinot: Theres a reason someone you haven't seen for months or even years still crosses your mind. God wants you to pray for them!

RT @yancyeaton: “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.”
Worry does not take away tomorrow's troubles. It takes away today's peace. Trust God. RT @PassionNetwork

RT @adamcates: The Kingdom of Heaven is all upside down...the Deader the Better.

I'm claiming Psalm 92:14 (Now you have to read it to see what I mean) @bg_simmons

RT @_MichaelKelly "Grace and peace." No wonder Paul opens his letters like this. It's the two word summation of the gospel: http://ow.ly/bJiP4

Holiness is not about getting better at keeping divine commandments, but about getting better at enjoying God & pleasing God. @LenSweet

Holding on to resentment is like grasping a hot coal with intent to hurl it at someone else, but you are the one who gets burned! @bg_simmons 

"You see, sometimes we don’t know that Jesus is all we need until Jesus is all we’ve got." - Wayne Cordeiro

Turnout Reality

Hat Tip: The Thinklings

Twitter Highlights

Recent highlights from my Twiiter feed:

Don’t say ‘Our Father’ on Sundays and spend the rest of the week acting like an orphan RT @PassionNetwork

Jesus is the vine; we the branches. Remember, you aren't feeding the root; the root is feeding you. #blessed RT @PassionNetwork

 Every new day with Jesus is filled with possibility! Anything can happen, even the miraculous #beready RT @PassionNetwork

"Pain is inevitable. Misery is not." RT @WayneCordeiro 

"Never give up. At your lowest moment, God might be preparing you for the greatest thing you'll ever do." #ChuckColson RT @ColsonCenter 

Lord Jesus, I am blind, be thou my light; ignorant, be thou my wisdom; self-willed, be thou my mind. -- Puritan prayer RT @LeeStrobel

If life is really tough, God may be preparing you to be one of His toughest soldiers when the battle is fiercest RT @PassionNetwork

There is a lot of comfort in knowing that Jesus loves messed up people. RT @StephenMiller

Satan says you'll never get beyond your past. Jesus says your future is beyond your wildest dreams no matter your past. RT@MichaelMinot

“Because Jesus never quits working, I can Because Jesus never vacations, I can Because Jesus never sleeps, I can” RT@johnwbryson

If you hear the gospel and think "I already know this" then you don't know the gospel. RT @theidshift

Facebook Transparency

Hat Tip: Shaun Groves

I'm Not the Center

Read an interesting post from Tim Chester this morning about the danger of Facebook narcissism, how Facebook (and other social media) allow us "to recreate my image and my world through my words to gain approval." But buried in the discussion of that problem was this gem about finding true identity in Christ.

Am I trying to do self-identity or am I finding identity in Christ? Or, Am I looking for approval from others through my words or approval from God through his gospel word?

The gospel of Jesus says that Jesus recreates me in the image of God and Jesus is recreating the world. God’s kingdom is extended as his word is proclaimed.

•      Jesus recreates me – not me
•      Jesus recreate me in God’s image – not my image
•      Jesus recreates the world – not me
•      Jesus recreates God’s world – not my world
•      Jesus creates God’s world with God at the centre – not me at the centre
•      What creates and recreates are God’s word – not my words

It is these truths that enable me to be truly human, fit for the purpose for which I was created. And this is what liberates me from self-obsession to enjoy the goodness and grace of God. Knowing the real God is better than Facebook.

Tim used the British spelling "centre", but I still get his point.  I'm not the center, Jesus is the center. It's less about bringing God down into my story; It's about bringing me up into His story. Amen to all that!

Productive Illusion

I'm feeling so productive today!

Hat Tip: 22 Words

Follow Me on Twitter

For those of you who use Twitter I'm now on board with the Twitverse. You can follow me at bg_simmons.