Thursday, May 18, 2017

What message are we sending...

by Debi Baker

This is a post I shared on my personal blog last year.  I was particularly irritated at the number of 'Christians' that share posts of their own, other people or pages.  Not just any post, but those posts that have foul language in them.  I will never understand why people feel the need to pepper their language, spoken or written, with such 'colorful' words!  It disgusts me!  


I felt like I needed to share it again.  I don't think we really think about what message we are sending sometimes.



Ephesians 4:29 NLT
"29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them."

Psalm 19:14 NLT

"14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."

Colossians 3:23 NLT

"23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."

1 Timothy 4:12 NLT

"12 ...Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

These several verses all have one thing in common...the way we are supposed to act, be, speak, do.  They have been on my mind a lot lately.  I get on FaceBook nearly every day.  And, every time I am on, I see posts by people I know and by some I don't know.  I don't have a problem with it in general; however, many of the posts I see by my 'Christian' friends is what gets to me.  


We all 'share' someone else's posts from time to time.  The problem I have is when a 'Christian' shares a good post, something that has meaning or an encouraging thought.  I have to wonder if they look at the origin of the post...the 'page' from which it came or the 'name' of the original poster.  There are many FaceBook pages whose name is a foul name.  There are many individual posters that give themselves a 'nickname' as a middle name.  (ie:  John 'Curseword' Doe)  If my friend 'shares' one of John's posts, even if it's a worthwhile post, FaceBook lets the world know that 'Debi Baker shared John 'Curseword' Doe's post!  So, his obscene name shows up on my timeline.  I am a pastor.  I don't want my congregants to see that.  It sends a message that I don't want to send.  It's speaking out of both sides of my mouth.  I say one thing from the platform and something completely different when I share the post from the poster with the obscene name!

It's easy to copy or download and save an image to your computer and then upload it to your timeline without the obscenity!  As Christians, we are in the world but not of the world.  We are supposed to stand out from the crowd.  Others are supposed to see Jesus in us!  When we post things like that we are sending a message that says being a Christian is no different from the world!  I honestly don't think they intend to send that message but that's the message being sent.

I want to challenge each and every one of you that are on any social media, not just FaceBook, please consider the message you are sending.  Not just the 'picture' message but also in the names associated with the picture!  Let's be the face of Jesus that others see.  Let's send the proper message that Jesus is Lord and when He is Lord of our life, we are different.  Don't bow to the ways of the world.


Have a blessed day!
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