WHAT IS THE BIBLE VIEW ON INSTAGRAM?

Photo by Mariia Shalabaieva on Unsplash

INTRODUCTION: The Highlight Reel Problem

Nowadays we live in a world of followers, likes, posts and filters. If you open Instagram, Facebook, snapchat or tiktok just to “Check in”, you immediately experience a new world of luxury and expensive lifestyles.

When you open the app for five minutes and suddenly without anyone asking or saying a word directly to you, a voice in your head starts whispering:

·        Oh, everyone is more successful than I am.

·        Why my life is not like hers?

·        Everyone is winning in his or her life.

·        Everyone seems to be happy.

And without even realizing, your gratitude fades away. Because you keep comparing your life with what you say on social media, by creating the fake scenarios in your mind about the luxury life, you have seen from others on the media and this keeps you restless.

But here is a deeper question we have to ask ourselves in our daily life: What does the Bible says about social media and self-image? Would Jesus go to live on Instagram? Would he post on social media? Would He spend the day scrolling through reels? Would he care for Instagram followers?

Social media did not exist when the Bible was written. But God’s word speaks of each culture, including this one we are living in. Let us see what the scripture tells us about seeking approval, guarding our hearts and finding our identity in a world full of pretending and never stops scrolling.

 

1.    Guard your Heart in a Sroll Culture

“Above all else, guard your hearts, for everything you do flows from it.”- Proverbs 4:33

Salomon wrote these words centuries ago, but they feel like they were written for this new generation of Instagram. ”Above all else” means more than your reputation, more than your status, more than your finances. Guard your heart.

Here is the truth we do not like to admit; Social media is not a random application for enjoyment. Social media is presented environment created by smart and powerful people to keep you engaged. And that enjoyment does not come from joy or happiness. It is rather emotions, envy, insecurity or even admiration.

Every scroll on social media plants a seed in your heart. Some of these seed might be beautiful like inspiration, admiration, encouragement or even opportunities. But other seeds can be something negative as:

·        Comparison (“Why does my life not look like hers”)

·        Insecurity (“I’m not successful or beautiful enough”)

·        Pride (“Oh, I can’t talk to them. They are not on my level”)

·        Envy (“They do not deserve what they have, I do”)

·        Performance (“People need to see me in this way online”)

Proverbs 4:23 tell us to guard our hearts because Everything we do flows in it. Not some but everything. What we allow to take root in us flows in our hearts; relationships, our faith, our finances and many others.

So the question not “Are you on social media”. The question is what seeds social media is planting in your heart.

Question to reflect on our daily life: is your social media feed strengthening your faith or is it contributing to your insecurity? 

 

2.     Are Likes Becoming our Idols?

“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ..”- Galatians 1:10

Paul wrote these word while defending the word of God against people who wanted to turn it down for social acceptance. He had a choice approval or Obedience but Paul chose obedience. But let us be real with our life – How do we make decisions and choices regarding our digital life?

Posting normally comes from unspoken questions: “What are people going to think about this? Are they going to approve this?” We take a plenty of time picking the best pictures to post, thinking and researching about the best and cool caption. And calculate the best time to post. And then we wait. We refresh every moment, checking every single notification. We measure our values in likes and comments.

Let us be honest with ourselves: Have you ever deleted your posts because it did not match the number of likes you estimated? Have low engagement on your post ruined your entire mood? Do you find yourself trying to change your personality just to fit what you want your followers to see?

If that is so you might be quietly slipping into what Bible calls People-pleasing and idolatry.

 

We tend to think idols as golden statues. But idols are those that takes God’s worth and place in our hearts and start to define what we think and what we should believe or not, That thing it is the idol itself.

 

“If you can’t go a day without it, fast from it. It is an idol.”

That is a very bold sentence but yet a convicting one. Take a moment to think about it. Most of use can’t admit as people who worships social media. We are not bowing down or praising our mobile phones. But what idolatry is not about what we bow to- but what we can’t live without? What happen if you leave your phone in another room for a night? What first thought that comes to mind after you wake up and even before you start you Morning Prayer? Is it the anxiety or stress of going full day without checking your feeds or Dm? Or feeling that you are missing out- that might be discomfort telling you something important. It is not just a habit. It is a hold. And ancient spiritual practice of fasting – giving something up intentionally to remind your soul who it really depends on- it applies powerfully as it does to the food. One day fast from your social media might feel small, but it has the ability of showing how much space it has taken in your heart.

The danger is not the platform or social media itself. The social Medias are such tools. The danger happen when the approval from people replace the approval from God and when we are more concerned with what our followers think of us than what the Almighty Father thinks of us.

 

The good news? God’s approval is not based on our performance or personal appearance. It is based on Christ. And we all already have it, we don’t have to earn it. That frees you from posting or not posting without losing your identity or character.

 

3.      You Were Fearfully and Wonderfully Made – No Filter Needed

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”Psalm 139:14

 

Instagram culture shows a very clear message: Everything I am doing needs improvement. Edit the photo. Adjust the lighting. Make my skin tone looks a little lighter. Use this filter to hide this on my face. Be taller and skinner, more aesthetic and be more like them. This is only presenting the best part of yourself and hiding all the imperfections.

 

The scripture have a very different message for us: You are already a masterpiece. Psalm 139 tells us that God knit you together in your mother’s womb (v.13), that his works –including you are wonderful (v.14), and his thought towards you outnumber the grains of sand (v.17-18)

The word “fearfully” in verse 14 carries the sense impressive and breathtaking, the kind of admiration you feel when you make something you are proud of. That is how God feel for creating you. Not humanity in general but you specifically.

Your worth is not found in your personal appearance, your body type, your Instagram followers or your personal brand. You worth existed and was decided even before you created an account in your social media. Your worth existed before your very first Instagram post.

The cross confirmed what creation declared: you are deeply, unconditionally valuable. No Instagram post can add to that and no Instagram comment can subtract to that.

 

4.      Would Jesus Use Instagram?

This is the fun but more serious question, and it is worthy to think about it more carefully.

Jesus was not more of a private person who did not like public interaction. We have seen in the Bible that he preached to thousands on different places. He visited those who needed salvation and stayed in some of believers homes. He spoke boldly in synagogues and had deep conversation with those who needed to challenge his faith. Jesus welcomed the outcasts and directed them towards the Lord’s path. In today’s saying we can say, Jesus was a public figure of that time with a powerful message and wide outreach.

So the issue was never social media, It is the purpose behind it.

If Jesus had social media account, we can pretty sure, He would:

Ø  Use it to speak and spread the truth.

Ø  Encourage the discouraged.

Ø  Look for those overlooked.

Ø  Showing every interaction towards God.

Ø  Protected the victims and fight injustice

 

       But we can also be confident that he will never:

v  Compare himself to others.

v  Seek for validation.

v  Delete a post because it did not get enough engagement.

v  Build a new identity based on his followers.

 

 

Jesus knew exactly who he was the beloved son of God(Matthew 3:17). He was loved and hated by many people and he had many followers as he had those who wanted him dead.But all of this did not change his identity or character because he knew exactly who he was.

So the question is not that you are on social media. The real question is who are you being when you use social media?

For influence or for affirmation? For ministry or for ego? For genuine connection or for comparison? The platform is neutral. The heart behind it is not.

 

 

5.      How Can we use Social Media as Christians?

 

1.      Audit your feed. Take few minutes and look in the list of people you follow. Ask yourself “what do I learn from these people, is it inspirational? Does is it brings me closer to God? Or is it pulling me away from God?”

2.      Set the limits. set a screen time limit on how you use your social media, because the more you spend time on social media, the more you start feeling like you are missing much in a life. Even 30 minutes per day of a a screan break can contribute to a huge step and can help in your spiritual growth.

3.      Post with purpose. Before posting, ask yourself, “Why I’m I posting this? Is it necessary? Is it glorifying the Lord or encouraging others? A simple question like that can make a huge impact on how you engage online.

4.      Do not measure your worth by metrics. One thing you need to understand is that your worth is not valued by your like counts. Repeat Psalm 139:14 over yourself. i.e. God’s word drown out the noise of numbers.

5.      Take intentional fasts. Try one-week social media off and wait for the outcomes. Most people report sleeping better, experiencing less anxiety and feeling present. Social media fast can be a spiritual discipline that resets your identity and reminds you what really matter.

 

Conclusion: Your Identity Was Settled Before Social Media Existed

Here is the truth we want to leave you with, Social media does not create your identity nor define it.

You were created intentionally before the foundation of earth. Your identity is not work in progress; it is already settled in Christ. Social media can be a tool used for good like spreading positive information, inspiration, truth and empathy for the better good. However, the moment it becomes a mirror you see yourself in, that the moment it becomes the tool for destruction.

So scroll wisely, Post carefully and never compare yourself.

And always remember this above all: You are already deeply, fully, unconditionally loved – even if no one double taps.

Written By

 Clovis Amatus