For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — comes not from the Father but from the world.
1 John 2:16NIV
Social media allows us an outlet to express our unique identity on a large scale. Even better, you can filter out anything you don’t want to share — like bad hair days or wardrobe malfunctions — to make yourself seem as perfect as possible.
The problem is that none of us are perfect. No one is always successful, most people aren’t rich, everyone struggles with relationships, and not everything that happens to us is particularly interesting.
Despite knowing this deep down, we may still desire to be recognized for our abilities, talents or accomplishments. We often feel pressure to join in because everyone else is and not participating may disadvantage us.
However, what is likable or desirable to the world is not always aligned with the Christian worldview. Jesus calls us to forsake our earthly possessions (Matthew 19:21), not to elevate ourselves above others (Luke 14:11), use our talents to help others (Matthew 25:11-30) and only seek approval from God (Matthew 6:1-6).
When we compare Jesus' teachings to what is commonly seen online — hate comments, misinformation and overindulgence — the contrast is strikingly clear.