How to Engage in Truly Passionate Posting
How to Engage in Truly Passionate Posting
Take those passionate posts to the next level!
I, for one, am truly thankful for Christians* who are willing to put it all out there and engage – even when I disagree with them. And, when engaging in spiritual warfare, few arenas are hotter than social media! Sadly, however, many are entering this conflict ill equipped, because they truly do not understand all that the Bible has to say about mercy, justice, and truth. Read on – you just may be challenged to take your posts to the next level!
Mercy. There is a passion for mercy that reaches out and will not withhold good from others when it is in our power to show love and compassion. That is, of course, our duty (Proverbs 3:27). Then, there is an even deeper level of mercy that so identifies with others that we see their sorrows and struggles as our own, regardless of their Samaritan roots. We are filled with the same compassion as though one of our own were suffering. This mercy is both biblical and Christlike. (Matthew 9:36, Luke 10:33ff)
Justice. There is a passion for justice that moves us to oppose and remedy evil at any price as we brandish the Word of God with the skill of an ancient warrior (Micah 6:8). There is, however, a more profound level of justice that extends beyond the immediate offense to the origin of that injustice. It seeks to understand and win those who appear to be unjust rather than to discard them as enemies or imbeciles. This justice is both biblical and Christlike. (We see, for example, the LORD tempering His justice in response to the circumstances surrounding Israel’s disobedience throughout the history books.) (Matthew 5:44)
Truth. There is a passion for truth that is grounded in the Absolute, and declares, “This far and no more!” (Romans 3:4). However, there is a deeper love for truth that saturates the very marrow of the truth lover and evokes a commitment so steely in character that it refuses to ever be caught defending the truth through fabrication of the facts or another’s motives, however just the cause. It attacks the issue with abandon while refusing to believe the worst about an enemy until that enemy exhibits his lies by word and deed. This truth lover embraces his enemy and truly desires to see him won. He rejoices in truth and believes all things. He has no need to obscure, shade, or spin facts to aid his righteous cause, for in so doing, neither his character nor his message are sanctified. This truthfulness is both biblical and Christlike (John 7:17-19, 2 Timothy 2:24, Philippians 4:8, 2 Corinthians 2:17).
Prayer. There is a passion for prayer that finds its roots in both faith and obedience. It lovingly declares “I will not sin against God by ceasing to pray for you.” (1 Samuel 12:23, Philippians 1:4, Colossians 4:2). Still, there is another level of prayerfulness that accompanies an abiding life. It arises spontaneously out of a passion that supersedes both duty and discipline. It is the very heartbeat of the indwelling Christ who compels us to approach the throne of grace almost before we know we are praying. It is quiet, subtle, and commonly a part of the daily experience and functions best when unnoticed by others. This passion for prayer is both biblical and Christlike. (John 15:7)
And how does this all relate to penning our passions on social media?
Bible believers are often passionate about those fundamental expressions of mercy, justice, truth, and prayer, but, when committing our thoughts to bits and bytes, we can be tempted to forget their deeper expressions. “Passionate,” however, is the operative word here. This is because the very times when our passion for mercy, justice, or truth comes into play we are most blind to our own flaws. We squint our eyes and focus on the issue at hand, losing awareness of our surroundings. These are the times when we want to allow a little time to lapse between what we read and how respond. As well, it may be helpful to apply a “GRACE” test to what we are about to post or share.
If my post is filled with grace it will:
G. Glorify my Savior. Am I thoughtfully expressing the character of Christ?
R. Reflect mercy and compassion. Am I reflecting true biblical mercy?
A. Add value to the discussion. Am I reacting or responding?
C. Care equally about the issue and the reader! Sincere prayer for my reader will always temper my response.
E. Express the facts carefully. Document, Document, Document!
Are you a social media poster? Thank you for sticking your neck out there! Have you equipped yourself for true spiritual warfare? The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4). Listen to your Commander and review the rules of spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:1-18 before engaging social media!
*Please understand that this admonition is directed toward “Christians.” The majority of those who call themselves Christian, simply are not. They do not have the indwelling Christ to encourage, guide, and lead them. The Bible tells us to examine ourselves to see whether we truly are in the faith. If you would like to see the gospel clarified in simple terms, we invite you to visit our link: https://www.internetbiblefellowship.com/gospel.html
**Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/pornfree-19996/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=852770">Michael Gehlert</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=852770">Pixabay</a>
I loved this article. Thanks so much for posting it. Obviously, it applies to much more than posting on the Internet. I copied and pasted it into a Word document to save it for the future! Thanks so much.
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