Stupid Things the Church Needs to Stop Doing to Make Progress by Ps Michael Podhaczky

As Christ-followers we have been called to live as residents of the Kingdom of God. But what does it mean to live as a ‘resident of Kingdom of light’? Well, one feature that Paul mentioned was to,

⁵ “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” (Col 4:5-6 NLT)

If there is one thing that can be done very badly, it’s using social media inappropriately. Christ-followers aren’t immune to this stupidity either. Some of the things that are said or put on social media are not wise, gracious or attractive. On this subject Carey Nieuwhof has made some valuable comments that may be timely for you.

“Here are somethings that, in my view, would help the mission of the church become more authentic and more effective if we could just stop doing them.

Stop being so weird online!

Too many Christians come across online as either:

·       Toxic: Hello angry ranters, trolls and haters

·      Cynical: Yes, we know you’re disappointed with everyone all the time and no one gets it as right as you

·       Sugary: So sweet we can’t stand the taste and are not really sure you live in the real world

Why do so many Christians think their social media feed is a place to show the world their weirdness? It gives the impression that if you’re going to follow Jesus; you also need to become socially awkward. I know people might say, ‘No, I’m just being authentic.’ But being authentic does not mean being weird.

I think a general rule is if you can’t imagine saying it in real life to a person, you shouldn’t say it online. If you go to post something and you think, well, that would be braggy if I said that to someone, that’s a healthy check. It means you’d be bragging. So don’t post it. Similarly, if you think, ‘Well, people would just walk out of the room if I said that in real life,’ then maybe don’t say it.

If you’re always angry or cynical or all you do is complain online and you think, ‘Well, I wouldn’t want to be friends with someone like that in real life,’ then that’s a clue that maybe you shouldn’t say it, or be like that. And if you think, ‘Well, then I’ll have nothing to post,’ then you’ve likely put your finger on a deeper issue.

Christians, let’s just stop being so weird online, OK!”[1]

Pause in His presence for a moment and think this over. To be continued in your life.

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[1] Nieuwhof, Carey. “5 Stupid Things The Church Needs to Stop Doing to Make Progress.” http://careynieuwhof.com/2015/07/5-stupid-things-the-church-needs-to-stop-doing-to-make-progress/ (24^th August 2015).