Artificial Acceptance

20“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV

I have to hand it once again to Wayne Jacobsen for providing me with yet another platform with which to expound on.  This week ol' Wayne was decrying the predominant use in our society of facebook and other social media.  Now, I have known of the evils of social media in our society for some time, but to speak out against it is like crying out in the wilderness.  Indeed, it seems that people are so involved in online relationships that face to face interactions may soon become a thing of the past.  I regret the day that happens.  It's gotten so bad the one of the founders of facebook has recently bemoaned what this social feedback loop has done to our population.  We get a feeling of happiness and acceptance when someone "likes" us on facebook.  At the same time, we feel rejected and sad when we are not accepted by our social media contacts.  Really?  This is artificial acceptance, and it in NO way is a indication of who it is we are in Christ.  I know a thing or two about the whole social media thing because I've been there.  There was a time when it seems that I was addicted to online social chat rooms back in the stone ages when they were popular.  People today may not know a chat room from a like or follow, but they were as harmful as any facebook social media of today.  Don't get me wrong, social media has it's uses, but I feel that we've made it into more than it should be.  We've linked our social media to our very own self worth and emotions.  No social engineering program ever designed could have created a following of zombies as well as facebook has.

Life takes a bit of time and alot of relationship
William Paul Young ~ The Shack

I mentioned my dabbling into online chat rooms for a reason.  I do it as a warning to those who would base their worth, importance and life upon a false acceptance.  At the time, I found that it was easier for me to communicate with others via a chat room than in person because there was less pain involved...or so I thought.  I was looking for acceptance, validation and for others to see and accept me for who I was.  The trouble is, I was looking in the wrong places.  I was tying my self worth into the opinions of others.  This is a slippery slope that once one starts down its road can lead to a boatload of pain and self doubt.  If I were to give any advice to someone concerned about not being "liked" on facebook it would be simply...count your blessings.  Why would you link your self worth to what others think of you?  Why would I do the same?  Simple, for the feeling of being accepted by others.  However, if there is one thing I have learned it's that people are people and will have that tendancy to let you down every now and then.  One who will NEVER let us down is Christ Jesus.  Why would I need a facebook like to validate who it is that I am?  I already know who I am, and my validation is not tied to some social media social engineering project.  No, who I am is a child of God.  Who I am is a vessel in which the Spirit of Christ Jesus lives through today {Galations 2:20}.  It is not about validation but realization.  That realization that it is Christ Jesus who defines me.  Jesus has given me the only "like" I will ever need.

~Scott~