A Gilded Cage is Still a Trap

This morning, a thought came to mind: in the age of Social Media, how narcissistic have we become? Acts of kindness are given spotlights (I usually don’t make posts like this) and flashing lights, fights are brought out in to the open (I’m so mad at so-and-so right now!), and we slander our brothers, even if we do so anonymously (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!). We’ve convinced ourselves, because we have likes, followers, and opinions, that we need to constantly be putting our faces on things, giving it our stamp of approval, or opining constantly on everything. And, what is more, when our popularity wanes, we, much of the time without realizing it, compromise ourselves a little more to get them back. To quote Admiral Akbar from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi “It’s a trap!”

Loved ones, the enemy of our souls wants us to willingly give ourselves away, and we do so, and often, because we have bought in to the lie that to be liked it what it’s all about. We sell our children to these vicious gods (little “g”), and they sell themselves online for the sake of likes and follows. The promises the world gives us through these “social” media cites is entertainment, popularity and community, when really it gets us enamored with ourselves, anxiety, depression, and a fickle god in ourselves, and more in popularity. Satan knows that if he can keep us wrapped up in ourselves (it’s always been the promise since Genesis 3 “you will be like God”), he can isolate us from the Father, diminish our witness, and make us ineffective in our walk with Christ and for the Kingdom.

My suggestion (one I am taking, and believe me, as one who uses Social Media for ministry, the irony is not lost on me): turn off the phone, get out in to nature, and meet with people face to face. Cut off the hand (not a literal hand, but the app, or whatever else is drawing you from Christ and in to yourself), bring your Bible, and dive in to God’s word. Make God’s word the compass by which you walk, think, act and speak. Seek Christ every day through the Gospels, and seek to walk as He did. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength, and your neighbor as yourself, and go make disciples! It’s more worth while than being on your phone all day.

1 Timothy 4:1-5

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

2 Timothy 3

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

James 4:1-12

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?