I deliberately held off from sharing this post until I felt the Lord’s inner prompting to do so, which happens to be at a time of great division and uncertainty in the world. This word was released on November 4, 2024. I am not an American; I am Canadian, but my nation is just as divided as my neighbour to the south, and my nation is facing great uncertainty as well.
As social media is one of my primary vehicles for ministry, I’ve learned that if I am to be a carrier of God’s hope, peace, and love to a world that desperately needs it, I must steward the peace God gives me. I have considered Phil 4:4-9 a foundational cornerstone of my life, and I am constantly drawn to it in these times of great division. Even more so in November 2024. God is charging His church, “Be peacemakers. But first, make sure you know where your peace comes from.”
Phil 4:4-9 (AMP) -“Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation], by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours]. Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable and worthy of respect, whatever is suitable and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. The things you have learned and received, heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you.
With the above Bible passage in mind, I follow a few principles to keep my sanity while navigating the wild and wacky world of Social Media.
It is not rude to ‘Snooze’ or ‘Unfollow’ someone who constantly posts negative or fear-based content on social media. I don’t need to unfriend them. By choosing to ‘snooze’ or ‘unfollow them’, I just won’t see their posts as I scroll through my newsfeed. I can still check in on them by visiting their profile. Who knows, perhaps they might find my content to be a bit of an oasis at times.
Even though dear friends are fixated on things that don’t necessarily resonate with me, I don’t toss them to the wayside. If I see they have a prayer need, I pray. If there is a need I can help with, I help. However, I choose to scroll past rather than pause if content does not encourage, strengthen, uplift, or motivate me. The following types of posts have little interest to me, so I don’t dwell there long.
– Compulsively sharing negative articles and speculative videos.
– Complaining that they don’t receive everything they believe they are entitled to.
– Expressing frustration at political figures while throwing tantrums because their preferred leaders are not in power.
-Pointing out everything wrong in the world rather than considering what specific and concrete actions they can take to improve their lives and those in their immediate surroundings.
Just because I snooze or unfollow someone doesn’t mean I can’t be their friend or care about them as individuals; my love for them remains unchanged. However, I am the one who decides what I want to see on my newsfeed.
I control what I post on my timelines and the tone of comments I allow to stay under my posts. Since I choose not to discuss politics or go down unprovable bunny trails of speculation, I don’t permit others to divert my carefully crafted posts with snide or off-topic commentaries.
When I read something that tempts me to feel offended, I’ve learned to scroll past it. Sarcastically commenting to change someone’s mind is futile.
If I feel my anxiety rising and my peace diminishing, I meditate upon the above scripture, then take a step back and ask myself. “Where did I lose my peace?” “What thought did I dwell on that tried to overpower God’s truth?” I then surrender my worries, offences, and angst to Him and breathe in His peace again.
There will be a lot of social media noise in the coming weeks. Are you contributing to that noise? Will you make a difference in your area? Will you allow the Prince of Peace to be your King, not your circumstances?
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Until next week,
©2024 Katherine Walden