Would You "Like" Christ's Facebook Page?
According to their website, Facebook’s mission is to “give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.” There was an impressive average of 802 million active users per day in March.
Most of us use Facebook for different reasons. I know I like to read and share funny items or recommendations for places to visit or activities to try. But I also wonder about why I post some of the things I do. Have you ever thought about your motivations when using social networking sites like Facebook?
What if Jesus Christ had a Facebook page? Yeah, it might seem funny to imagine Him taking selfies with the apostles by the Sea of Galilee, letting the world know what an awesome time He and His buddies were having on a particular day. But really? What would He actually post on His page, and should that have any bearing on the ways we use Facebook?
After all, we’re supposed to “let this mind be in [us] which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). In a nutshell, this should be our purpose and motivation every day.
Christ’s purpose, outlined in John 6:38, says that He came “…down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” It’s unlikely that He would be updating His status with the latest epic adventure He had with the disciples or that He would even be taking selfies. That wasn’t His focus. He was here to do God’s will. He would likely post things that would represent God with the honor and respect He deserves—photos of His creation, examples of the miracles He enabled Christ to perform, scriptures that would help others make sense of their lives and would build God’s family. He would focus the attention not on Himself and His friends, but on the teachings of God.
If I’m honest with myself, many times I’m posting things on Facebook that focus on me, me, me. Look at me—I’m having the greatest time ever!! And I know I’m not alone in this tendency—I’ve had many conversations with friends along these lines. That’s something I’m actively working to change.
How often do we think about our Facebook habits through the overused, but still valid question: what would Jesus Christ do? I challenge you to think about your motivations a little more the next time you’re about to “like” or post something on Facebook. It may seem like a small thing. But it’s the small things that, over time, make up our habits and our character (something God is very interested in). Let’s work on building the character that will be here long after Facebook ceases to exist.