The Early Days of Social Media

My time on social media began with the creation of a Myspace page. Eventually, I gravitated towards Facebook, then Twitter, and eventually Instagram. During my early days on these platforms, I had an opportunity I had never had before: connecting with other Christians around the globe in places I will likely never have the chance to visit.  

I started a blog called The Only Door, and I began sharing my writing on social media. Many were encouraged, and each time I shared an article, hundreds of people would read, comment on, and like it.

The growth of my blog and social media platforms eventually reached a point where a single post would garner thousands of likes.  

Through social media, I was able to share my faith in Jesus with individuals who had not yet placed their faith in Him, not only in the United States but also in many other countries.

The connection with other followers of Jesus produced opportunities to encourage one another and exchange testimonies of what God was doing in each of our lives.  

I was inspired by content creators who produced or simply uploaded articles, video clips, and photos, and I also learned much from what I encountered.

What I interacted with often helped me grow in my knowledge of God. It was an inspiring time, but the good times would eventually come to an end.

The various algorithms on social media platforms began to amplify angry, provocative, or controversial content, and to ensure continued engagement with their platforms, many creators adjusted their content.

To be successful, you needed a content title that sparked interest. If you made content that leaned towards fault-finding, and in some cases character assassination, you had a better chance at going viral.  

Comments became more condemning, and social media became a very unpleasant place. It broke my heart to see brothers and sisters in Christ repeatedly and purposely violate the one-another verses of Bible scriptures, (John 13:34, Romans 14:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Romans 12:16, 1 Thessalonians 4:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, James 4:11, James 5:9) 

Despite being connected to some great people on social media and the opportunities it presented for me to share my faith, I deleted all of my platforms. I only recently returned.  

Considering all of this, I want to encourage the followers of Jesus who are on social media to consider Galatians 5:15, “But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.”

The world is watching us on these platforms, and through our actions we can either draw people to Jesus or repel them by un-Christ-like behavior.

May God grant us the ability to be unified in the manner in which Jesus prayed for us to be (John 17:21), even when we are on social media.