Think Twice; Post Once

By: American Decency Staff

What happens when we, as image bearers of God, are more interested in bearing our own image than His? There are many who use social media to do just that, bear their own image rather than glorifying God. Even worse, there are many today who also bare their own image, or images of others. Turning what should be used as an opportunity for homage into a venue for vanity and a path for pornography.

Nathan Bingham put it well at a recent Ligonier conference, as he warned of vanity in a digital world, “As sinful creatures we are really good at putting the ‘me’ into media.”

Let’s face it; the human race is a self-centered people. From Eve eating the forbidden fruit which was pleasing to her eyes to someone posting what they had for breakfast; from Cain killing his brother in the field to the hurt partner posting spiteful words or revenge porn; from Nebuchanezzar’s mind hardened in pride—turning him into a beast—to the posting of our accomplishments and events; our vanity is digitally displayed before an ever-watching world. Too often people don’t even think about what they are posting. Good or bad, modest or not, happy – sad – angry, informing everyone—even strangers—of our self-important lives is only a click away.

BUT…

“Is this self-obsession, this vanity, in line with living a life seeking God’s glory; or are we seeking our own?” asks Mr. Bingham. He reminds us that the world encourages us to seek after self; but Christ, calls us to die for self, to live for God, and to love our neighbors.

Although it would ease our conscience a bit to blame social media, we need to admit that the problem isn’t with Facebook, Twitter, and the ever-alluring internet; it’s with our sinful nature. Social media is just another outlet in which our sinful nature so easily escapes without the restraining power of the Holy Spirit ruling in our lives.

Mr. Bingham encourages his listeners to give thanks for the technology that God has given us, but exhorts us to be ever-vigilant in examining ourselves. Are we pursuing God’s glory or our own in our use of social media and technology?

Throughout his short lecture he reminds us of the carpenter’s axiom, “Measure twice; cut once;” calling people to “Think twice; post once.”

Here are three principles he gives the Christian, to help curb our social media bent toward worldliness.

1) Seek an outward focus:Ask yourself—is this ultimately serving God or my neighbor, or is it serving self? Often these things are a matter of motive and are a question that only we can answer. Are we posting things that encourage others to godliness, exampling a Christ-centered family or godly relationship for others to see, or are we posting with the motive of being seen? Take care not to judge others. Questioning our own motive may cause us to post nothing at all. Remember, think twice; post once.

2) Steward your social media:“The library of Congress is archiving every tweet that is posted. And your Facebook profile is telling the story of your life.” “Tweet by Tweet, selfie by selfie, you are creating your legacy, for God’s glory and the world’s good or for ill.” We have a tremendous opportunity to show others how we are following Christ.

Your social media posts will outlive you. Would you post differently if you knew that your great-granddaughter would one day read your status update? Would you tweet differently if you knew that an unbeliever would read it? Each post and tweet is seen by the Lord God Almighty. Remember, think twice; post once.

3)  Submit to God’s Word:The Scriptures should govern our lives both off line and online. “It seems that when Christians connect to the internet all their thinking gets distorted…I like to call it the digital deception. You put an I-phone in someone’s hand and words they would never say to someone face-to-face they suddenly tweet or leave as a comment on a blog. Images we would never look at, or own, if they were printed in a magazine, we will linger over online, if not seek them out. And even worse, some of those inappropriate images are the selfies, the immodest selfies, posted by Christians.” 

“It’s like we’ve forgotten what holiness is. Abraham Kuyper, is known for saying that there is not a square inch in the whole domain of human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine.’ Jesus cries ‘Mine!’ over your time, over your Facebook posts, and over your internet history. Are you submitting to the word of God or are you living in the digital deception?”

This digital age can certainly be a blessing, as well as a temptation to evil and self-centeredness. Let’s take Nathan Bingham’s very good advice to: Think twice; post once. Think of Christ and His claim on our life, think of what our post says to others, and then post to the glory of God!

---

To support our efforts please click here or mail your gift to American Decency Association (ADA), PO Box 202, Fremont, MI 49412. 

American Decency Association is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

---