Would an analysis of your online activity prove you a loving person?
I have used this quote in the past and will use it again: "Love... is Christian maturity in action." (Maturity by Sinclair B. Ferguson p. 12). In 1 Corinthians 13 the Apostle Paul says in verse 12 that he moved from childish ways to the ways of a man. Love is how he did this.
So, I will ask again: would an analysis of your online activity prove you a loving person? Would an analysis of your social media prove you to be mature or childish?
My dad recently said something to me. He said, "I think people think I'm mean online when I don't intend to be." My dad, and many of you, did not grow up online and this is all new. Sarcasm does't translate well. There's a learning curve for many of us when it comes to being social online. But some of you are childish and unloving and you mean to do it. The bottom line is that we all know that we all need to be better in this arena.
So, let's look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and see what it has to teach us about being online. Paul had no idea his words would instruct Facebook users, but God certainly did.
Love is Patient.
The King James Version says, "love sufereth long". Do you suffer long online? How long does it take you before you can't feel an ounce of love for someone because of what they post or don't post? Love suffers long, it puts up with things patiently.
Love is Kind:
Are you kind online? If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Mom was right. Unfortunately, many of the mom's and dad's who said this have a hard time doing it... and the world sees it.
Love does not Envy:
Perhaps you don't say anything bad, but you have that green eyed monster on your shoulder as you look at vacation photos. Perhaps when the Instagram lives don't match your real life the jealousy festers. Maybe no one knows it, but you secretly want their wife, their stuff, their job, their life.
Love does not Boast:
Look at me, look at me, look at me. That's social media in a nutshell. I'm not saying you should Vaguebook all your problems, but can you have success without posting it?
Love is not Proud:
When you've acted unloving online was it because your pride was hurt? That's usually what makes me most unloving; the glory of Matt being defamed in front of others. Can you admit when you're wrong and ask for forgiveness?
Love is not Rude:
Do you have manners online? Are you snarky or are you polite? Do you defer to others? Are you a gentleman or a brute, regardless of whether the person you're replying to is right or wrong?
Love is not Self-Seeking:
When you post something do you feel the urge to check how many likes it gets? (sadly, as soon as I post this I will feel that urge). Is your online presence curated in a way to make much of you? Do you spend time encouraging others with this amazing tool?
Love is not Easily Angered:
How quick are you to be angry online? Do you feel every good fight is your fight? This one is hard because much of the content is designed to engage us through anger. Angry people stay online longer. The Twitter mob is on longer than those who are smiling. Politics is fueled these days by anger and right now much of social media is politics. How can we be not easily angered online?
Love Keeps no Record of Wrongs:
The internet reminds us of the positives and the negatives. Many of our "friends'" social media remind us daily of the things that we feel wrong us.
Love does not Delight in Evil but Rejoices with the Truth:
Are you entertained online by what Jesus would be entertained by? Or are you entertained and occupied with crap? Do you delight in seeing what you want to see and reading what you want to hear regardless of whether or not it is true? How much time do you spend checking on the veracity of what you read and share online?
Love Always Protects:
Do you protect or do you destroy? The KJV says, "beareth all things". The Greek word used here means to "cover up" or to "pass over". Do you pass over the annoyances you see in your fellow church members or do you feel the need to always react?
Love Always Trusts:
Do you assume the worst in others online? Sadly, we do a book's worth of judging on a paragraph's worth of evidence. Some people are like I said my dad felt, not as callous as they accidentally come off as online. Some of us throw away a lifetime's worth of evidence of good when we see a blip of perceived bad online.
Love Always Hopes:
Does your online presence reflect Who is the source of your hope? Or does it show your hope is in politics?
Love Always Perseveres:
If an audit was done on your online activity would it show an enduring love or a love that snapped? We must love with courage! Courage is that place where the virtues are carried over their testing point, to amend a C. S. Lewis quote. Are you living and broadcasting a courageous, enduring love or a wimpy, temporal, earthly love?
This is not easy. Love is hard. We need help to do this. "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). We can't love like 1 Corinthians 13 instructs without help and we'll never do it without engaging wisdom online and in-person.
May your online (and real life) interactions prove you a loving person today.
