Friday, February 16, 2018

The Sermon on the Mount to the Saints on the Mount of Social Media


The teaching that the Lord Jesus gave in Matthew 5-7 chapters has come to be known as "The Sermon on the Mount." Christ taught different issues in these chapters. One of the matters He addressed was "anxiety(Matt. 6:25-34).

Based on the words of Christ, I address here the issue of anxiety for identity in social media. Apparently, these days social media has a dominating influence on the identity of people all over the world. Even God's people have yielded themselves to the temptation of building their identity on people's responses to their pictures and posts in social media.

Therefore, the following message is written to help the saints of God not to let social media determine their identity (who they are). Those who have ears to hear let them hear the conviction of this message.

DON'T BE ANXIOUS AND CURIOUS


Do not be anxious about your acceptance nor look out for attention, how many likes you get or how many thumbs up you receive or people's responses to your posts.

Is not your life more than likes and thumbs up and smiles and other emojis?

Look at the birds of the air: they may neither seek for acceptance nor crave for attention, and yet your heavenly Father cares for them. Are you not of more value than they?

And which of you by seeking attention, acceptance and approval of people can add more value to your life?

Consider the lilies of the field, how beautiful they are and how they grow. Can a man produce by himself such beauty? Not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these.

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

Do you understand how fearfully and wonderfully you are made? Do you know you are God's image? Do you see how glorious your life is, which is redeemed by the blood of Christ from the mire of sin? Do you know you are God's chosen, beloved and holy one?

Stop being anxious and refuse to build your identity on digital emojis and people's approval. Do not be obsessed with posting your pictures or your personal matters and keep an eye out for how many likes or responses you get. For the pagans seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you do not need them.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, feast your eyes on the beauty of the Lord Jesus, behold the glory of God, gaze upon the cross on which Christ died for your sins, consider the eternal glory awaiting for you, set your mind on the things above—and you will count all the emojis as nothing.

Therefore, do not seek people's attention and be not anxious about your acceptance, nor about people's responses to your posts. Your heavenly Father loves you like no other and graciously accepts you based on the work of Christ Jesus on the cross.

Flee from building your identity on the vain and fleeting glory of social media. Know Christ Jesus and know who you are in Him, the Eternal Glorious One, who loved you and laid His life for you. That's all that matters. That's all you need. That's all-sufficient for you. Rejoice in the Lord always.

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2 comments:

  1. Brilliant piece of writing.If only all the students get to read this and know they are so precious there won't be killings like in Florida or suicides among people especially the youth.

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  2. Thanks for the enlightenment Anna.

    ReplyDelete