Living For the “Like”: Lessons From a Social Media Fast #2

I wonder how many of us post on social media and just wait to see how many “likes” we get. Kind of opens a pandora’s box doesn’t it? Of course, we post things we think are interesting or funny, but do we do it just to get those likes? Should that be the motive for posting updates?

This is the second (read the first here) in this Social Media Fast series of lessons from my daughter Alycia’s week long social media shut down. She has allowed me to share some of the things she learned. I pray these will cause you to stop and think about why you use social media as it has caused her, and me, to do.

On her second day of the fast, she was working on some art for her church. Often when she is creating, she will do a time lapse video of her creating the art. Sometimes she posts these to find validation, but not today. Today her focus stayed on the content for this project and her thoughts were centered on heavenly things, not validation from others.

She shared that the man who invented the like button took himself off social media fearing smartphone over use would impair cognitive capacity. Here is part of her journal for day 2:

As my daughter said, social media is used by the devil to convince us that we are not who God said we are. Without a “like” we are not accepted, enough, worthy, cherished, chosen, unique…loved! And unfortunately we buy into these lies way too often.

So, we must counter act this with God’s Truth!

This is such a powerful reminder of motive and focus regarding our social media involvement. Scripture reminds us:

Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23

Do you “live for the like”? Do I? If so, let’s ask why, and pray for the Lord to reveal our motives behind our updates. Get in His Word daily to find out who you really are!

Watch for Part 3 next week: Created to Connect.

Banner photo by Greg Bulla on Unsplash