18/03/2022
READ TILL THE END AND GIVE US YOUR REACTION.
This is the Like button. A very familiar icon that many of us casually use. Before you click this, know that this symbol has a deeper meaning.
The like button or thumbs up symbol is a sign of approval. So, whatever post you attach this symbol to, you not only approve the photo or video but the entire package; the idea, the beliefs and the source of that content.
As true Christians, we have to make sure that the contents we approve of or we like do not go against our doctrines or God's words.
Christians are instructed, thus: “...[W]hatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:17 New King James Version). As we live in a world with values far from what the Bible teaches, we don’t just copy or like what they do. Instead, we dedicate ourselves to applying God’s commands in our daily lives; this includes how we behave online.
Consider this. In the real world, would a true Christian approve of someone who teaches that there is no God or give a thumbs up to someone who bluntly convinces people to defy God’s commands? Others are quick to say “Of course not! I will never approve that.”. Well, here’s where it gets tricky: on social media, things are coated with attacks on emotion. Like a photo or a video of a celebrity saying, “Follow your heart's desire. As long as you’re not hurting other people, nothing is wrong with that.”... It sounds sweet to the ears but if you examine it a little closer it encourages people to disregard the will of God. So, we need to be mindful and investigate each post before we react.
This is the reminder of Apostle Paul: “... Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Rom. 12:1-2 The Message)
A Christian who is active in social media must be “cautious” yet “gentle” (Matt. 10:16 Good News Bible) and must be aware of his responsibilities in liking a post.
So before you consider hitting that Like button or any reactions, consider first what God likes. Because in this confusing virtual world of social media, where values are not the priority, we should always remember that WE ARE CHRISTIANS ALL THE TIME, EVEN ONLINE.