According to www.datareportal.com, there 4.76 billion social media users in the world in January 2023.

The platforms may change, but social media is here to stay.

As a Christian, how should we engage with these platforms? For one, we should seek to be the same person online and offline.

Who are we then?

Foundation: We are ambassadors for Christ.

Roles of an ambassador:

• Represent the Kingdom of God.
• Our assignment – Causing persons to be reconciled to God (The Great Commission).
• Showing loyalty to the Kingdom.

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Some years ago, I was reading a John Maxwell book. He wrote that an introvert influences at least 10,000 people in his/her lifetime. With an online presence, that number is probably a lot more.
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Without a doubt, people are influenced by:

• What we post.
• What we like.
• Who we follow.
• What we share.
• Our comments.
• What we forward.
• What we retweet.

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These interactions show what you believe and what you endorse. They give insights to your character.

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Furthermore, we have to remember that we are ambassadors for Christ. I would like offer the following suggestions:
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“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20

Here are 6 DOs to be charming on social media:

1) Do use your platform and influence to share the gospel, values and beliefs of the Kingdom of God.

You are influencing others through every single post or comment that you make. As a Christian, you have been given a mandate by Christ to make disciples of all nations and social media can give you wider platform than your physical circle of influence.

2) Do dress modestly.

Our aim is to attract people to Jesus.

“I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.“ 1 Timothy 2:9-10

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:3-4

When you post a pic or a video, ask yourself…

Am I drawing people to Christ?

What effect would my attire have on men who are sincerely desiring to have sexually pure thoughts? Yes, they have a part to play in controlling themselves, but God has also given us a role.

When I read the book “Every Man’s Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time” by Steve Arterburn, my eyes were opened in understanding the sexual struggles men face, especially in our modern day sexually-charged culture.

Let’s represent Christ even in our dressing.

3) Do …be an encouragement.

With the staggering increasing rates of depression, you can use your influence to encourage and build up others. Most people are bombarded by trauma on social media. So, besides a person dealing with his/her own personal life drama, he/she is also absorbing and internalizing the trauma of others. No wonder depression is more rampant than before!

Hence, everyone can do with extra doses of encouragement.

You can share:

• Personal testimonies of God’s goodness and power in your life.
• Share other people’s testimonies.
• Publicly express appreciation of the people in your life.
• Share what God is teaching you from His Word.

4) Do … be gracious to those who have views different from yourself.

Social media platforms should not be used for public arguments. There are trolls whose main purpose is to create contention. Don’t fall into their trap. If possible, message the person privately to continue the discussion.

“A troll is a person who starts flame wars or intentionally upsets people on the Internet by posting inflammatory and digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into displaying emotional … “(Source: Wikipedia)

5) Do … be positive and reduce your negativity.

Take time to rejoice with those who rejoice. You can even give a Christian perspective on different matters without being insulting or becoming disrespectful.

6) Do use your platform to unite the body of Christ … focus more on our common beliefs.

I know that there are many “Christian” frauds, but be careful that your speech toward other believers is not divisive. Also, social media is NOT the platform to bash your former boyfriend regardless of how much you think he deserves a public disgrace.

Additionally, if you and a friend (or former friend) is having a difficult relationship right now, social media is not the place to malign the person’s character and try to solicit sympathy from your other “friends”/followers.

It’s not a pretty sight. It would be a “slap in the face” to your friend and possibly make future reconciliation almost impossible. We have to protect our hearts as well as the hearts and reputation of others. To deal with the conflict, please follow the biblical model (see Matthew 5 & 18).

Your other “friends” are totally clueless about the “guilty” person and your history as friends. Therefore, the advice from your social media “friends” would tend to be one-sided.

If you really need to talk with someone, find a spirit-filled unbiased person who will listen to you, but will also give you proper biblical advice even if the advice might be hard for you to accept.

Here are 3 DON’Ts to be charming on social media:

1) Do not communicate ideas that will make people question your faith in Jesus, your morality, integrity, sanity or reputation.

​Sure, you are free in Christ, but you are also a responsible adult. If you’re having a crisis of faith, I would suggest taking a break from posting on social media. Once content moves from your head to your keyboard and you click “send”, it can never totally disappear even if you click delete and change your mind a few minutes later. Why? For one, someone might have taken a photo of it!

Therefore, think very carefully before you post, especially when you’re not in a good mental and emotional state (e.g. depressed, angry, annoyed, frustrated, etc.). It is safer and probably more beneficial to talk to someone in “real” life.

2) Be careful about your political campaigning. 

Some Christians have become more passionate about their political party than Christ. If our mandate is the Great Commission, we want to win everyone to Christ, so be wise in what you post. Be extra careful that your comments are in line with the Word of God and the character of Christ. If you are in doubt, it is better to keep silent.

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3) Do not use your platform to create drama and foster arguments.

Pause before you post.

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Colossians 4:6 ESV
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Before you post from second-hand sources:

Do a fact check before you post. Even reputable Christians can post fake news and conspiracy theories.

“Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.” Ecclesiastes 10:1​

Questions to ask yourself before you engage online:

Is this information accurate?

Is it my main goal to represent Christ on the social media?

Are you currently representing Christ or yourself only?

Summary

Social media has given you greater influence than you’ve ever had before. According to Spiderman, “With great power comes with great responsibility”. God has allowed the internet and social media to be a part of our lives in period of the world’s history. But, it’s for His purposes to be accomplished. So, let’s dethrone self and allow Christ to shine through us as we navigate the social media space.

Are you representing Christ well online? Do you have two different personas – one online and a different one in real life?

Take a look at your posts in the last six months, what has been your overall tone? What do you need to change?

To recap,

1. Here are 6 DOs to be charming on social media:
   • Do use your platform and influence to share the gospel, values and beliefs of the Kingdom of God.
   • Do dress modestly.
   • Do …be an encouragement.
   • Do … be gracious to those who have views different from yourself.
   • Do … be positive and reduce your negativity.
   • Do use your platform to unite the body of Christ … focus more on our common beliefs.
2. Here are 3 DON’Ts to be charming on social media:
   • Do not communicate ideas that will make people question your faith in Jesus, your morality, integrity, sanity or reputation.
   • Be careful about your political campaigning. 
   • Do not use your platform to create drama and foster arguments.

Thanks for stopping by!

#madeforlove

With love & laughter,

Kimberly Garth

Other Helpful Resources:

10 Easy Tips to Start Journaling today 

Top 5 Attractive Qualities Single Christian Men Want 

6 Reasons Why Virginity is STILL Wonderful 

Recommended Books:

Every Man’s Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time by Stephen Arterburn

Secret Keeper: The Delicate Power of Modesty by Dannah Gresh

Recommended Reading Device (LOVE IT!):