Matthew 5:14-16
[14] “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
I recently started video taping myself packing orders, testing games, etc. and posting them online to Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube in hopes that maybe that could help sales and build up some traction that I could make a few extra dollars a month. But of course, it’s the internet and people are just out here being negative for no reason. I was told my music is annoying (I used an old song I had made as background music so the video wasn’t in silence), so I told the man who made the comment that being rude to total strangers wasn’t really necessary. He then got upset and attacked me some more and insulted the video telling me it was stupid and no one cared, so I pointed out it was too late to insult the video as he already liked it and took the time to comment asking what it was I was packing up. We went back and forth for a bit, but ultimately he stopped responding after I explained his comments though hateful and intended to hurt me only helped my video get more views (because regardless of the content of the comments, Facebook sees interactions as a good thing and boosts your videos to more people) and only making himself look bad.
I could have easily gotten angry and attacked him back. Insulted him. Made him feel small, but I chose restraint. I chose not to allow myself to become angry or offended by what a stranger said about me online. Since social media, we, as a society, have grown callus towards one another. We try to tear others down for no reason other than because we can. Suicide in this younger generation is very high. They grew up on social media, where anyone can harass, hate, torment, and bully you relentlessly. Being behind a screen, hiding behind a fake name, feeling powerful for bringing down others only shows how weak and pathetic you truly are.
Social media doesn’t have to be a toxic place. I’ve never watched someone’s video and felt the need to comment to let them know how much I hate them or what they’re doing. I’ve never needed to tear someone else down to build myself up. How we act towards each other matters. Whether online or in person. As Christians, we are the light of the world because Christ shines through us. We have to take the high road, even when we feel like we have a right not to. Our life is no longer our own. It now belongs to Christ. Therefore, we need to be Christ to the world.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Make The World Better.