Guard Your Heart: Navigating Social Media as a Christian
Social media has become an integral part of our lives, demanding so much of our attention. Having all your connections and friends at your fingertips feels empowering and encouraging. It’s wonderful to be able to reach out to your Christian friends and stay connected.
While this is true, there are also significant dangers if we don’t use social media with good intentions. Cyberbullying, trolling, and stalking are just a few examples of how social media can harm others. These may be extreme examples (and ones we should never engage in as professing Christians), but they are still very real ways in which social media can be misused.
There are, however, other issues often overlooked or not treated with the same level of seriousness. Some of these are more nuanced but carry substantial weight nonetheless.
With this in mind, let’s examine a few areas where our social media habits can potentially harm both ourselves and others.
Comparing Ourselves to Others
Social media has made us more connected than ever, but in doing so, it constantly exposes us to everyone else’s lives. This can make it all too easy to compare ourselves to others. With so much information at our fingertips, it’s natural to feel disappointment, anger, frustration, or even jealousy when we see the lives others present online.
Comparing ourselves to others is a significant issue—and I include myself in this struggle. It’s crucial that we don’t lose sight of what truly matters: that Christ is our ultimate goal, and we should strive to become more like Him, not others.
I believe 2 Corinthians 10:12 speaks directly to this issue:
"We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise."
Spreading Falsehoods
"Peace if possible, truth at all costs." – Martin Luther
The term "fake news" has become part of our everyday vocabulary, often used casually to describe information that is misleading but disguised as truth. Social media contributes to this problem, as it is a powerful vehicle for spreading false stories and misinformation.
As Christians, we are called to pursue the truth at all costs. This is even one of the Ten Commandments: Exodus 20:16 reminds us, "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour."
Behaving Differently to Real Life
Social media encourages us to post the most attractive and exciting aspects of our lives in exchange for small dopamine hits from likes and views. It’s easy to create a persona online that disguises who we truly are. Social media allows us to hide behind a screen, distancing ourselves from our identity in Christ.
Furthermore, the anonymity social media provides can enable bad actors to create alternative identities for harmful purposes. As mentioned earlier, this can manifest in trolling or cyberbullying.
Ephesians 5:1-2 reminds us:
"Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Christ is our example, and through sanctification, we are called to become more like Him—including how we present ourselves on social media.
A Replacement for Real-World Fellowship
Let’s be clear: social media is no substitute for Christian fellowship. We cannot—and must not—neglect meeting with fellow believers to worship together. Instead, we are called to worship collectively as the Body of Christ.
That said, social media (and the internet as a whole) can be a useful tool to facilitate and organise fellowship in person, such as through meet-ups and online communities. Personally, I’ve lost count of how many WhatsApp messages or emails I receive each week about church meetings and fellowship groups. It’s a valuable way to keep everyone informed.
Acts 2:42-47 highlights the importance of in-person fellowship in the early church:
"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
In-person gatherings were central to the Christian life in the early church, and they remain just as important today.
In Conclusion
These are just a few areas (out of many) where we need to be vigilant as we seek to guard our hearts.
It’s important to remember that social media isn’t inherently bad. Like anything else, its value depends on how we use it and our relationship with it. We must pay close attention to how we engage with social media, as it’s another way the devil can sow discord among our communities.
As Christians, we need to think and pray regularly about how our social media profiles—and our entire online presence—can be used to glorify God and bear witness to His love and truth.
