Amid reports of identity theft, increased crime, teen suicides, and job loss all being attributed to social networking sites like Facebook, these companies have continued to experience rapid growth. Facebook reports that it now has 500 million users, which is not too shabby for a company that has only been around since 2004.
With Facebook’s widespread popularity, I began to ask the question, “Can Facebook be redeemed?” That is, can Facebook be used to glorify God?
This question emerges from the Scriptures, which tell us to do everything as unto the Lord (Col. 3:23). If we are indeed to do everything as unto the Lord, our Facebook use must be included. So, this is the mindset I took when I was asked to manage my company’s Facebook page in June. It turns out that I had to have an active personal account in order to manage my company’s business account. So, I reluctantly reactivated my account. I say “reluctantly” because my previous experience with Facebook was less than stellar. At the advice of co-workers and friends I signed up late last year, but deactivated the account after just a few short days. I felt this overwhelming pressure to respond to every request or message, immediately. I wondered what would happen if I didn’t respond right away. Worse yet, what would happen if I ran into the would-be friend in person without having responded to their friend request? And worse still…what would happen if I actually didn’t want to be friends with the person after all? So, to avoid all those what-ifs, I deactivated my account.
As a Christian who promotes living out a biblical worldview, I am convinced that God in His sovereignty allowed me this opportunity to be a Facebook user again. So I started asking myself, “How can I use Facebook to glorify God?” For me, this has meant posting Bible verses, devotionals and other spiritual materials in my status or linking them to my page. It has also meant deleting posts that I find offensive, or otherwise dishonoring to God. I also began to notice that many of my friends were also posting scriptures and devotionals, and this was very encouraging. There are even some ministries I appreciate, like In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley and Apologetics 315, that have pages of their own. These, and countless others, provide daily encouragement for believers, as well as a forum for discussing issues of defending the faith and the importance of living out a biblical worldview. Seeing other Christians and ministries on Facebook began to make me feel more comfortable on the site.
But something else started to happen as I continued to use my account. I began to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to think of what to post or not to post, and reading the posts of my friends. On the surface, posting or reading Bible verses seems harmless. But when I began to check to see if anyone had commented on my posts, or began to speculate as to why someone hadn’t responded to my friend request, I knew it had gone too far. My Facebook use was starting to be more about people responding to me and less about how they were responding to God. Providentially, it was at about this time that my supervisor informed me that I no longer needed to manage my company’s account. So, I was then free to close my personal account. After much prayer and reflection, I decided to do just that. That’s right, I closed my Facebook account. And, I am happy to report that I haven’t lost any “real” friends, the earth is still orbiting the sun, and God is still on the throne!!!
But before you label me a Facebook hater, please understand that I am not condemning the use of Facebook. However, I am advocating that its use be submitted to the Lordship of Christ. I have talked with many people who say that they have become addicted to Facebook, through updating their statuses, reading their friends’ posts, or playing the myriad of games they have access to on the site. On the other hand, many report that having a Facebook account allows them to interact with family and friends who live in other regions; catch up with classmates they’ve lost track of; or monitor the Facebook use of their children, or youth to whom they minister, to ensure their safety. Recently, there have even been reports that law enforcement agencies are using Facebook, and other social media sites, to catch criminals.
With all that said, I think that as believers we should approach using social media the same way we approach being members of society. Romans 12:2 instructs us in this regard: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” That is, we can be on Facebook, but we should not take on the spirit of Facebook, which can be voyeuristic, narcissistic, and addictive if left unchecked. We should search the Scriptures and pray that we will discern God’s will, as it relates to our use of social media. If you are a Facebook user or plan to become one, remember not to take a vacation from your Christian values when you log in. The way you portray yourself on Facebook is part of your Christian witness to the world. The next time you log in, remember these words from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:16): “… let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Noted Christian theologian and cultural commentator, Albert Mohler, offers a few suggestions for using social media that may be helpful as well:
1. Never allow social networking to replace or rival personal contact and communication. God made us to be social creatures that crave community. We cannot permit ourselves to substitute social networking for the harder work of building and maintaining personal relationships that are face to face.
2. Set clear parameters for the time devoted to social networking. These services can be seductive and time consuming. Social networking (and the Internet in general) can become obsessive and destructive of other relationships and higher priorities for the Christian.
3. Never write or post anything on a social networking site that you would not want the world to see, or anything that would compromise your Christian witness. There are plenty of young people (perhaps older persons now, too) who are ruining future job prospects and opportunities by social networking misbehavior. The cost to Christian witness is often far greater.
4. Never allow children and teenagers to have independent social networking access (or Internet access, for that matter). Parents should monitor, manage, supervise, and control the Internet access of their children and teens. Watch what your child posts and what their friends post.
5. Do not allow children and teens to accept any “friend” unknown to you. The social networking world can be a dangerous place, and parental protection here is vital.
6. Encourage older friends and relatives to sign up and use the technology. Grandparents can enjoy keeping up with grandchildren and with friends and loved ones separated by distance or mobility.
7. Use the social networking technology to bear witness to the Gospel, but never think that this can replace the centrality of face-to-face evangelism, witness, and discipleship.
8. Do all things to the glory of God, and do not allow social networking to become an idol or a display of narcissism.
Nicole Johnson
