Instagram and the Gospel

“Unreserved, unrestrained. Your love is wild, Your love is wild for me. It isn’t shy, it’s unashamed; Your love is proud to be seen with me. You don’t give Your heart in pieces. You don’t hide Yourself to tease us. Your love’s not fractured. It’s not a troubled mind. It isn’t anxious. It’s not the restless kind. Your love’s not passive. It’s never disengaged. It’s always present. It hangs on every word we say. Love keeps its promises. It keep its word. It honors what’s sacred. ‘Cause its vows are good. Your love’s not broken. It’s not insecure. Your love’s not selfish. Your love is pure” (Pieces, Steffany Gretzinger).

I know that not everyone who stumbles across these words knows Jesus or has a relationship with Him. Maybe you’re searching, maybe you’ve been searching and you’re getting tired. Wherever you may be, my prayer today is that you might find Him here.

I want to share something with you.

I was the girl on the other side of her Instagram direct messages hiding behind my quick wit and keyboard. I grabbed at anything that resembled attention—desperate to feel something. I found my worth in my followers, even more so in who wasn’t following me.

Who liked my picture? Who didn’t?

I went to the greatest of lengths, constantly compromising myself and my standards to make sure people knew I was pretty and popular and funny; worth something even if I didn’t believe it myself.

But you would never know that.

I lived drained, in crippling fear of rejection. Always competing to measure up. Completely consumed by this thing (social media) that was feeding me just enough to keep me tied over, but too little to keep me full.

Be careful that you do not sell yourself buying into this world. It wants only to be your friend when you have something to offer.

We live in the age of the influencer. The quick fix. Instant gratification. Always in competition with the same strangers we crave to be affirmed by.

So easily wooed by cheaper, over-the-counter substitutes, something worldy that feels good for a moment, because the good stuff costs more than we are willing to pay. Walking with Jesus means dying to ourselves instead of living for a like. We crave so much to be seen, and in that, we are so fast to shortchange our authenticity for the world’s acceptance and approval. 

I think maybe the saddest part of it all is that we don’t even auction ourselves to the highest bidder. We’ve been so conditioned to lack the patience for that. Instead, we throw picture perfect glimpses of the most intimate parts of our lives and bodies at the first taker in return for a false sense of value and worth—for free. Allowing ourselves to be temporarily satisfied by the crumbs on the floor when we have a place at the table.

He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and unconfined place, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food (Job 36:16).

Listen, social media is not bad. 

Being a blogger and someone who has grown up in production, my need to document runs deep. Literally every job I have revolves around my phone, a camera, a computer and a caption. I love a picture and I appreciate good lighting.

It’s good for the soul. 

I really make the effort to share both the struggle and the highlight reel of my life, but I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t love to post a picture of myself that I know my life (or hair) looks good in and didn’t peep to see who was looking. The danger here though, is when the rush from the attention of our online “friends” becomes the source of our worth and joy.

"You don’t give Your heart in pieces. You don’t hide Yourself to tease us."

Unlike society and the things that vie and compete for our attention and affections, Jesus does not woo us with half promises or tease us with fractions of His heart. He is the bread of life. He gives Himself to us wholly and completely. When we are in Him, we lack nothing.

"Your love’s not passive. It’s never disengaged."

He does not leave room for us to wonder where we stand. Confusion is not in His character. He is a perfect gentleman, clear in His intentions.

"It isn’t anxious. It’s not the restless kind."

He is easy and gentle. We don’t ever have to worry about where He is or if He will make good on His word. He is a safe place to rest and refill.

So, from one daughter, sister, friend, wife and mother to another: if it starts to feel like a shackle, break it off. If it begins to resemble an idol, burn it. You are a child of the most high God. You are chosen. You are blessed, deeply loved, fully known and highly favored!

You don’t need an app or strangers on the internet to tell you that.

May the way we carry ourselves online and in person do nothing but minister, and in protecting our own peace, may we protect and inspire those around us.