Social Media

It isn’t uncommon in Asia Pacific for houses (in town) to look fancy on the outside. The residents have beautiful artwork on the outside of their houses and gates, tropical landscaping, and flooring that is very intricate. The porch area, entryway, and receiving room are covered with the most expensive furnishings. But once you are inside, the other rooms of the house may look far different from the ornate outside: they are often plain and unfinished.

Now there are at least two ways to look at this house-building style. The first could be that they are trying to make everyone else think that they are wealthy, since few people would see past the facade of what is on the outside to the inside reality of simplicity or poverty. The second interpretation could be that this is an insight to where they place honor. You see that the front part of the house isn’t for them; it is for their neighbors and their guests. This is where guests will sit and have tea. This is where neighborhood meetings are held. This is where friends will develop a relationship with them. So the focus is more about others than it is about them.

Social media pages represent us in a similar way. We can have beautiful stories to write about, but what is important is our heart motive. Is it to make a pretty outside so that others think highly of us, or do we want to give honor where honor is due?

In our family’s use of social media, we want the honor to be carefully reserved for our God, our Creator, the One who made us a family, who lovingly sent us to the jungle, who patiently has preserved us there, who generously provides all of our needs, and who faithfully sanctifies us. At the end of good days, at the end of bad days, it is He who is working everything together for our good and for His glory.