[If you are visiting today from Proverbs 31 Ministries Encouragement for Today devotion, welcome!]
Sometimes when I scroll through my social media feeds I feel like there’s a 1000 voices shouting:
Look at me!
I’m awesome.
I’m awful.
My house is beautiful.
My house is a mess.
My marriage is perfect.
My marriage is horrible.
My kids are superstars.
My kids are naughty.
I’m cooking gourmet tonight.
I’m drive-thruing it tonight.
Like, like, like. Share, share, share. Friend, follow, favorite. Unfollow, unfriend, unfavorite.
Oh, what a complicated social media culture we live in.
From generation-to-generation there have always been defining tools the enemy of our souls has used. Things like the mirror, the scale or our financial status. But there’s a new way I see us being defined which is leading a lot of people to a place of discouragement:
Trusting our social media “likes”.
As a struggling writer, I understand this defining tool of the enemy all to well. And I’m seeing that it is something that can become very unsafe to our souls [writer or no writer.]
“A man is a fool to trust himself. But those who use God’s wisdom are safe.” –Proverbs 28:26
I love my social media friends. They offer much support, encouragement and connection. And I love social media as a tool to share life with others we would normally not connect with. It’s so amazing to live in a time where we can say one sentence to a thousand people instantly.
But here’s my struggle: trusting my social media likes is often easier than trusting the voice of God in my life.
Because…
Sometimes I hold back what I really feel God leading me to say in fear of loosing followers.
I didn’t start off this way. But all it takes are a few harsh comments. Then, as I sit down to write, I hear those voices. They hold me back from having the courage to say what I know needs to be said.
It’s not always safe to trust our social media likes.
And sometimes I’ve said things via social media that was a subliminal message to someone instead of having the courage to say it to the person’s face.
Anyone can sit behind a computer and say something anonymously with guts. But having the courage to have a hard conversation with someone privately often feels like a lost cause. Most of the time these bold subliminal messages seem to resonate with people, which makes things even more complicated.
It’s not always safe to trust our social media likes.
But even worse, sometimes I’ve felt less than valued as a writer when I didn’t get all those virtual high-fives for something I’ve written.
Using our “likes” as a tool for measuring what connects with other people isn’t such a bad thing. But we shouldn’t get discouraged when we’ve been obedient to God and it didn’t seem to settle with many people.
It’s not always safe to trust our social media likes.
The reality is I don’t know if we live in a culture that allows us to completely disconnect from all social media. Taking a break from it, stepping back and keeping the right perspective are all great things. But as we engage via social media might we hold close the promise today found in Proverbs 26:28.
It’s not always safe to trust our social media likes but we are always protected when we trust God.
So friend, I pray today we might have the courage to say the things we need to say. Hold close the people we need to hold closely. Let go of the people who don’t make us well. And find our value in trusting God’s voice more than ever.
12 Comments
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Thank you for the devotion, Nicki! Personally, based on what I have read, I think you are an awesome writer and this post specifically spoke to me as God is taking me down a very similar path. “Be yourself. Don’t conform to this world; learn to love your uniqueness. It’s My gift to you and it was formed out of my love for you” is what God has been impressing on me for a solid week now. I tend to pay too much attention to what others say about me, what I perceive they are thinking about me (big mistake in doing that!) and how many people “like” or comment on posts I make on Facebook. God has called you (and me…yay!) to be a writer. Follow Him with the reckless abandon of a child, not caring what the naysayers think or post. You are an awesome writer! 🙂
I know that you don’t me from Eve and this post seems a bit personal somehow, but I was writing both what I felt and what I felt God was leading me to say.
Thanks for the encouraging words today. As a new blogger, I try to share in the struggles of life, with a biblical perspective woven into the writing. I often get so excited when I have a lot of “likes,” then get super discouraged when there are only a couple of them. If often deflates me and makes me want to give it up. But it’s a good reminder to trust what the Lord is saying, and not always our FB friends! 🙂 God bless you and your writing endeavors!
Thank u so much for your encourage and devotion, you really transmit God love praying for you to keep writing you’re an awesome I can see all the love thanks writer you start bible study and I’m here again on my second one you really bless my heart. God bless you always. Love
“Like”. I’ve been struggling with social media and the opportunity to see every move of “the joneses” and how I don’t measure up. Thank you for this, Niki! I need to trust God has me where he wants me and be thankful. Hang tough, lady and keep following Gods guidance!
Amen sister! You hit the nail on the head, especially for all the writers. I have even found myself thinking…If you really LIKE it, share it. You have a great gift from God and he likes you best!
This post is amazing. We were just talking about this at bible study this week. How with the media access we have today, it is overwhelming at times for we see and read things and if we are not careful, we start this comparison thing going on. I don’t have this together, they are so good at this, I don’t have anything to share, how come others have it so good, etc. And yes, we need to keep our view on the LORD. If we only help one person with what we say or even if no one sees it. The LORD knows our hearts, He puts all the Good in us we ever have, and we need to leave it all in His hands. He will direct where our words that HE puts in our hearts will go. Negative comments will come. We live a world of the negative. Thank you for this post, it helps put many things in the right direction. God bless your words and thoughts dear one, I enjoy your posts very much for HE is evident in it all!
Nicki, God has spoken to me so deeply through your blog post!!!!! I am so happy and excited about that. Thank you so much for let the Lord guides your steps, and become a blessing for other women that, just like you, struggle with everyday life challenges. Recently the Lord is taking me to start a new ministry, particularly with a new book and a blog. This week I had an experience pretty much related to yours. It truly hurt me and made me asked the Lord if He was sure about His call for my life. I felt so bad, so tired, so awful, so confused… I was about to leave everything behind. Today I read your blog and I can assure you that every question and comment that I made to the Lord was answer in you post. I thank the Lord for this experience and also thank you for being such a great blessing May the Lord keep blessing you and your family. May the Lord keep guiding you in your process of becoming a writer for His Glory.
How sweet God is to allow me to click on your name this morning as I was reading a devotion on another site! I have never been to your blog before. BUT I am so encouraged at how intimately God knows me and my needs and speaks through someone at the right time and way!
Just two day ago I was on my bed crying to my husband because I felt so unloved (pity party!) We had just celebrated our anniversary and I had posted a comment about that and about my daughters birthday on Facebook. And guess what I only got like 10 likes. Lol ( it sounds silly now but at the time I was devastated!) I told him how a friend of ours got like 50 like about her anniversary, and I got 10. I was basing my identity and happiness on those likes. Sad but true. How silly am I, but it hurt!
Well, needless to say I am having a break from Facebook and have committed to spending more time with The Lord in the mornings! Which led me to this site and wow! It’s good to know I’m not the only silly girl out there that needs a good reminder not to base things on the likes on my page!
How sweet The Lord is to let me see this devotion this morning! Its like he is saying if you just come to me I “like” you! No I love you and here is a little glimps of how I love you! I’m smiling on you and care even if no one else does. And I am enough! And HE is!
May God bless and keep you! Thank you for being Gods sweet voice to me today!
Hi Nikki! I am a new reader of your blog and I feel blessed to be here. I can SOOO relate with everything you’ve mentioned on this post! Like every point said! But yes, I agree. As long as we are walking in God’s wisdom using His words, we are on the right track. I’ve had experiences where my followers/friends who come from other religions or are atheists would flood my comment section with bad stuff. Others would be questioning and trying to debate with me. Those were the days when I wanted to become like Ravi Zacharias able to defend Jesus in every argument but the truth is that I just don’t know everything..I am still continuously learning! BUT yeah, that’s something we all have to expect or be open to coming across with huh. God bless you and keep shining for Christ! You’re a blessing!
thank you so much for this!
Well said!
Very cool post
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