Social Media and My Heart

The Sweetest Mother's Day Gift!

Social Media is everywhere. That is definitely not news to anyone – but its true. I don’t even have news channels in our home (we don’t have cable) – all I have to do is flip through my social media feed and I learn everything that I need to know. If something major is going on, I can head on over to a news site and find out more.

My world was forever changed in 2007 when I logged into Facebook for the first time. I was working for a seminary and finally gave in to the mostly college-used media platform. Now teenagers to grandmothers use Facebook, and many other forms of social media, to stay in touch with the world.

Now we’ve upgraded to Instagram (my personal favorite) and Periscope (don’t know if I can jump on the video-0f-me bandwagon). Facebook is still a used tool by many generations and Twitter is still in the running too for top social media. So many others, but these seem to be the top ones.

Blogs are a type of social media and definitely useful in gathering your tribe, speaking into that tribe, and impacting people outside the four walls of your home. I have been blogging since 2005 and now blog for several group sites for books, women, or faith.

But, what am I supposed to do with my heart as I stay on social media most of the day. As a creative, writer, and photographer, blogs and other forms of social media are crucial to building a community. And I love it. I really do love the community that you can have via these sites. I have lived all over and it is a great way to stay in touch with friends in other states, share pictures with family members we seldom get to see, and encourage others in living life to its fullest.

There are some ways that social media isn’t good for my heart. And that’s sad but true. I don’t think I’m the only one who struggles in these ways, but I wanted to share how you don’t have to shut the social media world off altogether – but you can pray for wisdom and a pure heart when using social media.

1. Comparison. This is probably the toughest for me on a daily basis. Someone else writes a better blog that gets more hits than me. Someone cooks more delicious food than me. Someone loses weight faster than me – or their kids take the perfect Christmas card photo. Or they get to go on vacations. Or they get the perfect ministry opportunity. All of these cause me to sin in comparing my life – the life that God has blessed me with – with theirs and often feeling sad, left out, or not good enough. Acts 17.25-27 has definitely helped me recently in knowing that God definitely does have a perfect plan written for my life.

2. Purity. Looking a wholesome images that are good for a women’s heart and eyes is getting harder and harder on social media. I am friends with some who aren’t believers and some of the images they post are definitely not helpful. Pornography sites on Instagam and spam accounts on Twitter are not helpful or beneficial either. I can choose wisely in those moments to scroll right on past, or I can choose to sin and click on images that are harmful to my soul and harmful to my marriage. I’m grateful for grace and redemption that brings peace after sin. Acts 3:19 is so encouraging for us to arm ourselves with in times of sinful failures. Also, Psalm 119 is a good rule of thumb to guide us into what is helpful to look at.

3. Complaining. I think this one is easy to be guilty of without realizing it. Sometimes I do this out of honesty, or trying to be funny, or just “stating my case.” Well, complaining is never necessary or helpful. The Bible tells us to never let grumbling or complaining come out of our mouths (because it pours forth from our hearts). There is a difference for me in saying “Its been a hard parenting day,” and ranting on about how my children didn’t obey, made a mess of everything, etc. Our heart attitude comes out when we complain – and it is a tongue and heart sin that we need the Spirit to tame in us and build in us a new heart. Ephesians 4. 29 I use often with my children and I need to use often in talking to myself, too.

4. Biblical Worldview. Unless you only are friends with people who think just like you in every way possible or never read news feeds – you will be bombarded with different worldviews than your own. The reason my blog is called kd316 is because I want the word of Christ to dwell in me richly, and therefore dwell in my writings. I want to help my children think biblically about everything: world events, friends’ life decisions, family discussions, career paths, etc.

So, without giving up on social media altogether, we as Christian women can read the Word, be filled with the Spirit, know our own hearts, and trust in a Savior to provide us with wisdom as we engage with the world around us.

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Kimberly Campbell

Kimberly Campbell is a wife of one, mother to two energetic toddler boys, and a creative. She currently lives in the Atlanta area with her family. A lover of the South and all its charm, she loves to travel, do photography, write, cook, and stay fit so she can go down slides and run with her boys. Being a creative in all things, she loves to display the gospel in her home, friendships, and in her creative outlets. She blogs regularly over at http://kd316.com/

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