I don’t know of a single Christian who doesn’t want to make an impact on our world. For better or worse, we all want to be able to speak and for our words to have weight.
Unfortunately, I see a few things that keep Christians from having any actual influence on the people around them. Most of this is a symptom of social media use. But these three things—combined with the spread of social media—quickly erode any chance a Christian has at impacting their world.
1. Criticizing Celebrities and Other Pastors
Whether you’re criticizing Kanye, Trump, or Osteen, you’re losing your influence. Even if your criticisms are valid, some people stop listening to you when you start tearing other people down.
I had a revelation this morning… Imagine if Kanye West grabbed one of my books and decided to start listening to me. That would be cool, huh? But if he checked my Twitter account before reaching out to me, would he still want to chat with me based on things I might have said about him?
Kanye will probably never reach out to me. But what about a friend of his? What about someone who has actually been personally impacted by his work? The world is smaller and more connected than we can fathom. I can never know how easily criticisms can reach the wrong ears and erode my influence. So it’s probably best if I just stop.
2. Taking Public Stances
Besides the fact that I don’t see Jesus taking political stances, social media is the absolute worst place to spread your opinion. It’s impossible to give full context to your beliefs online. So people only get snapshots of what you believe without the background behind it.
Do you take unqualified stances against homosexual marriage, or divorce, or abortion, or welfare? You never know which friends on your timeline deal with the homosexual pull. Or you never know the friend who just signed the divorce papers. Or the girl you knew in high school that you didn’t know had an abortion after getting raped. Or a friend who has benefitted from welfare when circumstances made it necessary.
Public stances make you feel good, and it’s fun when people agree with you. But for those who don’t share your beliefs… They shut down to any influence you’ll have over their life.
3. Complaining
Snarky comments and negativity are so easy online. And they might get you some likes (or even loves) from Facebook friends. But you don’t know how many people are hitting the “Unfollow” button on your profile.
If you want to make an influence on the world, you have to keep its ear. Don’t let these things disqualify your voice from people who need to hear it.
What would you add to the list of disqualifiers?
