One of the things that social media should remind the people that use it is that it reflects that their lives are on display for all to see. As they post photos, share information and write comments, they open up their lives to being scrutinized by others, influencing relationships with those who see and read their post. It reminds us of what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:2, “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone”.
Paul was saying that he should not need to prove any further, that he was a genuine apostle, truly sent by God to represent Christ. He has the only letter of recommendation that he needed and that was the genuine transformation in the Corinthians themselves. These people were changed from idol-worshiping pagans into followers of Jesus. They were Paul's letter of recommendation, written in his own heart and displayed and open to be read by all. They knew Paul, he was authentic and trustworthy and Paul knew them and the change that God had made in them.
What we do and say, what we do in our leisure time, the places we go, how we respond to others' posts is critical in our witness of Christ in us. These can affect the credibility of our Christian witness toward others and the attractiveness of our faith in general. The unfortunate truth is that for many Christians, how they have portrayed themselves as Christ-followers has been anything but endearing to others. This is not how Jesus instructed us to behave. Jesus told us in Matthew 5:16 how to live before others, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”.
That does not mean that we are to sanitize our lives so much that we only share the highlights of our lives with the best pictures, the flattering news and happy family events. In this case, our Christian image is carefully managed and squeaky clean. Ultimately, people who are far from God are looking for the real deal, neither worldly compromise nor phony religion. God has called us to be authentic in our faith and to be true representatives of Jesus Christ as we attempt to reach people with the gospel message.
Bridging the gap between what people see as they peer into our lives, and what Christ said they should see must be authentic. We must decide to live our lives with authenticity, that is, to live in such a way that people can connect the voice of God with the message of the gospel that we are sharing because they see and hear it by the truth of God's goodness and the change that he has brought into our own lives, as a witness of our own personal and genuine change and salvation.
The world is full of people who claim to be Christians but their lifestyles do not reflect any spiritual change. They are able to quote some scripture, discuss a little above the surface religion, but their walks do not reflect the true light of change themselves, because they are still walking in darkness. That said, authenticity always begins with an “inside job.” It's a work that only God can do for and in us. It's a transformation of the heart that makes the billboard of our lives line up with the small print. It's what makes us salt and light; it's what attracts people to Christ.
One of the reasons so many people struggle with being authentic is that they are not being real with God in private. There is nothing more attractive than someone who will not just proclaim the truth, but step up and live it boldly at all costs. People today are searching for the real deal, not a fake, not a phony and certainly, not a hypocrite. It's way past time that we embrace the lessons of social media and remember that no matter what; our lives are on display. Therefore, in order to be a true representation of Jesus Christ, we must develop and demonstrate authenticity in our lives and in our faith. It's how we let our lights shine before men, and they will see our good deeds, and glorify our Father in Heaven!
Hold Fast,
-Bren
