I've noticed a new, mayhaps old, trend trolling around Facebook these days. Perhaps you have too.
There are many photos being uploaded which say something to the effect of, "If you are a Christian you will 'like' this! If you don't, you must not love God!" Or, "See this photo of Satan and Jesus? If you 'like' Jesus you should 'like' and 'share it,' otherwise you must 'like' Satan."
Nooo, I just don't want to post pictures like that on my wall because:
1) they can be cheezy
2) my religious view already states "Jesus Freak"
and 3) people should be able to tell by my actions and what I say on Facebook that I 'like' Jesus.
I'm beginning to notice how tech saavy my generation is becoming, starting with having Bibles on the phone.
Now please, don't take this the wrong way, but let's face it. There are many more available distractions on your phone which can easily prevent you from reading, much less studying, the Word than having a hand-held-paper-bound book.
Plus, what if God wanted to rock your world by having you open the book to the perfect, random, verse that fit your situation? You can't do that with a phone.
But in all reality, this almost worries me. What if, just play along for a moment-thinking caps of imagination on!-what if we become so tech saavy that we lose sight of who God really is?
How?
Prime example:
Twitter, or in my case Pinterest-I don't have a twitter. I like the photos I see those I am "following" on Pinterest, as well as their witty comments.
But I'm not really following them, it's more like "keeping up with the latest posts but hitting a button with a fahncy word that triggers my mind into thinking I am actually a fan of what they say and do."
If I wanted to truly follow someone I would be with them as much as I could, spend all the time in the world by their sides, learn from their past mistakes and ask questions about their ideas for the future. I would want to know whatever they were willing to teach me.
Pinterest and Twitter don't do that.
You can't really share the love of God by "sharing" pictures.
There is no true conviction in doing such things.
You can't really digest the words of truth and understand the deeper meanings behind them.
You see where I'm going with this? (No? Maybe? Kind of? Let me Elaborate...)
Take a look at this picture:
Yes, it is funny.
Yes, I will admit I legitimately LOL'ed when I first saw it.
No, I was not truly paying attention to the words when I first read them.
Now, read again, what do you hear?
Look at the second sentence, second word: "Literally."
"Literally": (adverb) "a strict sense, word for word, actually, without exaggeration..."
Jesus ain't playing around.
When he says, "follow me" he means "FOLLOW me."
"Follow": (verb--action) "to go or come after, move in the same direction, to conform to, to copy, to imitate, use an example."
Jesus isn't saying "like" me, he's saying BE like me.
This means if you truly want to be a Christian, which comes from the Greek word Christianos which means "little Christ", you actually have to be willing to put forth the effort to be like a little Christ.
Now I'm not saying be perfect, because Romans 3:23 already warns that we will all fail that one, but you should strive to do your best and be your best.
I'm totally preaching to myself, guys, I really am.
I know and I will be the first to admit I don't do all that I could be, or should be, doing.
But, I also know I am human, as are you, and we will make stupid, sinful, selfish mistakes. It's in our nature.
But this does not mean we can't fight our natures to make them more like Christ by refusing to give in to those desires.
It's hard, I know, but it's worth it.
Food for thought:
Are you doing your best by "sharing" a picture on Facebook?
Are you doing your best by "liking" Jesus?
Are you doing your best by talking the Great Commission talk but failing the Great Commission walk?
Are you doing your best by leading worship?
Are you doing your best by preaching on Sundays-and that's it?
Are you doing your best by loving your neighbor and enemies as you love yourself? (If loving them at all?)
Are you doing your best by being your best?
So next time you see that funny, or cheezy, photo of Jesus on Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Tumblr, or wherever, look at what it's saying, and ask yourself...
Am I really doing my best to be my best?
Do I REALLY love Jesus? Or do I just "like" him? Or do I just "like" the idea of Jesus and what he does?
There are many photos being uploaded which say something to the effect of, "If you are a Christian you will 'like' this! If you don't, you must not love God!" Or, "See this photo of Satan and Jesus? If you 'like' Jesus you should 'like' and 'share it,' otherwise you must 'like' Satan."
Nooo, I just don't want to post pictures like that on my wall because:
1) they can be cheezy
2) my religious view already states "Jesus Freak"
and 3) people should be able to tell by my actions and what I say on Facebook that I 'like' Jesus.
I'm beginning to notice how tech saavy my generation is becoming, starting with having Bibles on the phone.
Now please, don't take this the wrong way, but let's face it. There are many more available distractions on your phone which can easily prevent you from reading, much less studying, the Word than having a hand-held-paper-bound book.
Plus, what if God wanted to rock your world by having you open the book to the perfect, random, verse that fit your situation? You can't do that with a phone.
But in all reality, this almost worries me. What if, just play along for a moment-thinking caps of imagination on!-what if we become so tech saavy that we lose sight of who God really is?
How?
Prime example:
Twitter, or in my case Pinterest-I don't have a twitter. I like the photos I see those I am "following" on Pinterest, as well as their witty comments.
But I'm not really following them, it's more like "keeping up with the latest posts but hitting a button with a fahncy word that triggers my mind into thinking I am actually a fan of what they say and do."
If I wanted to truly follow someone I would be with them as much as I could, spend all the time in the world by their sides, learn from their past mistakes and ask questions about their ideas for the future. I would want to know whatever they were willing to teach me.
Pinterest and Twitter don't do that.
You can't really share the love of God by "sharing" pictures.
There is no true conviction in doing such things.
You can't really digest the words of truth and understand the deeper meanings behind them.
You see where I'm going with this? (No? Maybe? Kind of? Let me Elaborate...)
Take a look at this picture:
Yes, it is funny.
Yes, I will admit I legitimately LOL'ed when I first saw it.
No, I was not truly paying attention to the words when I first read them.
Now, read again, what do you hear?
Look at the second sentence, second word: "Literally."
"Literally": (adverb) "a strict sense, word for word, actually, without exaggeration..."
Jesus ain't playing around.
When he says, "follow me" he means "FOLLOW me."
"Follow": (verb--action) "to go or come after, move in the same direction, to conform to, to copy, to imitate, use an example."
Jesus isn't saying "like" me, he's saying BE like me.
This means if you truly want to be a Christian, which comes from the Greek word Christianos which means "little Christ", you actually have to be willing to put forth the effort to be like a little Christ.
Now I'm not saying be perfect, because Romans 3:23 already warns that we will all fail that one, but you should strive to do your best and be your best.
I'm totally preaching to myself, guys, I really am.
I know and I will be the first to admit I don't do all that I could be, or should be, doing.
But, I also know I am human, as are you, and we will make stupid, sinful, selfish mistakes. It's in our nature.
But this does not mean we can't fight our natures to make them more like Christ by refusing to give in to those desires.
It's hard, I know, but it's worth it.
Food for thought:
Are you doing your best by "sharing" a picture on Facebook?
Are you doing your best by "liking" Jesus?
Are you doing your best by talking the Great Commission talk but failing the Great Commission walk?
Are you doing your best by leading worship?
Are you doing your best by preaching on Sundays-and that's it?
Are you doing your best by loving your neighbor and enemies as you love yourself? (If loving them at all?)
Are you doing your best by being your best?
So next time you see that funny, or cheezy, photo of Jesus on Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Tumblr, or wherever, look at what it's saying, and ask yourself...
Am I really doing my best to be my best?
Do I REALLY love Jesus? Or do I just "like" him? Or do I just "like" the idea of Jesus and what he does?
Saint (in the making)
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