But with the good comes the not-so-good. We see a more self-centered society, where LIKES and VIEWS become the measure of success, and having a following is more important than following what's right. The pursuit of social power has started to trump our old passions for other accumulations. The Facebook phenomenon gives us a chance to pause and take a look at ourselves and reflect a little on what we're doing.
I found myself doing just that this week based on ONE POST on Facebook. For the last several years, I decided that the only post worth publishing on Facebook for me was my SOAP verse & thought. (SOAPing is a age-old tool of having a personal devotion, by reading a Scripture and finding one verse that speaks to you, Observing what it means, Applying it into your life and Praying about that thought for the day.) Posting my SOAP verse and thought has been a way of reminding myself each day what I am pondering, and creating a little bit of accountability for myself as well as sharing that idea with friends or people trying to grow their relationship with God. The verse usually gets read by many people, often gets dozens of "LIKES" or Comments, and sometimes even leads to a discussion with people.
However, one post from earlier this week was the FIRST EVER post that received NO LIKES! Reading it, you may understand why:
They went up to Jesus saying: "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they slapped him in the face. John 19:3 (Hard reality -- every sin is a slap in the face of God -- don't let your praise be words, but be obedience)
Certainly it is one of the few times I have posted a very negative verse and thought. And really, who wants to "LIKE" something that talks about slapping Jesus in the face! :( So it didn't surprise me that people did not want to comment or LIKE my SOAP verse.
However it did cause me to do some self-reflecting on this. Here's some thoughts:
1. By FAR... the few times my posts involve family moments, or personal experiences, or something to celebrate - TONs of people LIKE those posts. I wonder if that speaks to our culture's passion for experiences over wisdom?
2. Other posts that week were about how God wants to bring PEACE into our lives, and is ready to give us second chances. Those posts were certainly more LIKED than ones which talk about sin or failure or the judgment we will all face one day. Does that say we are more interested in what we can GET out of God than what HE wants to change in our lives? Are we that immature that we don't want to appreciate the hard truths?
3. I realized even with writing this blog afterwards my own measurement of success has been affected by the Facebook feedback phenomenon. While feedback is a gift that we should appreciate, it should not be the measure of success - even social success. My image on Facebook doesn't matter at all --- it's my Face in the mirror and before God that does.
So by Facebook standards... that post wasn't the issue... my reflection of what sin does between me and Jesus IS the issue. The post was likely missed by some, deeply challenging for others, and difficult to respond to for many. In the mean time - it was what God used to talk with me all day long about recognizing areas in my life that were slaps in Jesus' face. And as hard as it is sometimes to face and wrestle with... at the end of the day...
God LIKES it! :)