8 Ways to Use Facebook for Good Jennifer Heeren, Crosswalk Contributing WriterTuesday, September 16, 2014 Decrease Font SizeReset Font SizeIncrease Font SizePrintEmail 1 Comments Some people overuse Facebook and make it more important than it really is, but there are also people who underuse it and prefer to stay away from it altogether. You can choose either way, but there may be an even better middle ground. Facebook provides a way to catch up with friends you knew long ago, pray for other people, and even get new friendships started. The key is to treat this social media outlet the same way you would when you interact with people in real life. “Don’ts” Don’t Compare Facebook can become a place where you (consciously or subconsciously) compare your life with other people’s lives. When you are tempted to do this, fight it as quickly as you can. Don’t compare your life with someone else’s highlights. People usually post the best things about their lives on Facebook, but its not the whole picture. If you saw everything, you might not be tempted to covet their world. Don’t Just Read About Others Share some information about yourself, too! Congratulate people when good things happen to them, and rejoice with them. However, don’t share every single detail about your own life. Keep some things as fodder for live, in-person conversations. Along those lines, seek to meet up with Facebook friends in real life whenever possible. When you hear of a friend in need who lives near you, be willing to help them - live and in person. Don’t Make it All About You Interact on other peoples posts. Share things that you think somebody else might need to hear. Show compassion for other people in the things you post. Don’t post about all the things that upset you in life. Honor others by thanking them for posting what you needed to hear, and “liking” things. Don’t be Lazy It is easy to get caught up in Facebook and stay on longer than you meant to originally. Try to set some kind of time limit so that you don’t waste the precious hours in your day. You usually can see the important things pretty quickly after logging on. Make sure to save time to get your non-computer tasks done as well. “Do’s” Do Speak Out (Selectively) It can be a good thing to post about injustices in the world. Just be sure to post possible solutions, as well as the problem. Don’t let all your posts be complaints and rants. You can be honest about things that bother you, just don’t go on and on about what is not right with the world, especially if you never seek a solution. When people share opinions that you are opposed to, be respectful if you point out your side. The other person may have a valid point to make too. Live in peace even in the midst of multiple opinions. Do let Facebook Remind You to Pray One of the best uses for Facebook is as a conduit for prayer. Pray for people when they post about sickness and pain. Comment on these posts even if it is simply an “I am praying for you to feel better soon.” Little bits of hope can bring a lot of comfort. It is possible for a post to be prayed about hundreds of times and from people all around the world. Do Focus on Others Rejoice with other people when they are rejoicing. Be patient with others when they are venting. Mourn with people when they are sad. If a post makes you angry, pause for a while before you respond. Diffuse some of your anger and then reply with a calmer demeanor. Post things in such a way that everyone can see you as honorable. Do Speak Truth Season your posts, comments, and replies with God’s Word. Seek to glorify him in all of your social media conduct. Here is an example in my life of Facebook working for good: One time someone that I knew from my past messaged me on Facebook. We were connected as friends on Facebook but hadnt spoken in many years, because we simply didn’t have any present social overlap. Nevertheless, she saw my posts (that were hopefully upbeat and Christ-like) and wanted to meet up in person! She thought maybe I could answer some questions she was having about church and God. When I met with her, I doscovered she had recently begun a relationship with Christ, wanted to share, and just had some questions. We talked and rekindled a nice little friendship. Make sure, in all things, you seek to enhance Facebook by intermixing it with real life any chance that you get. …Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone (Romans 12:17b-18). Jennifer Heeren has always loved to write. For more than a decade, she has enjoyed writing encouraging blog messages. She loves to write things that bring people hope and encouragement. Her cup is always at least half-full. She regularly contributes to Crosswalk. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia with her husband. Visit her at jenniferheeren. Publication date: September 16, 2014 Decrease Font SizeReset Font SizeIncrease Font SizePrintEmail 1 Comments Recently on Singles Kris Swiatocho, Cliff Young Is My Relationship the Problem, or Is It Just Me?Kris Swiatocho, Cliff Young A reader asks, If I am having trouble in a rel... Will Honeycutt Is it Biblical for Christians to Get Tattoos?Will Honeycutt Tattoos are more popular than ever...but should... Nicole Unice What are Some Healthy Approaches to Dating?Nicole Unice In Christian culture, we can make everything re... Cliff Young Knowing When (and When Not) to Turn the Other CheekCliff Young I refuse to allow my joy to be disrupted becaus... 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Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 11:13:48 +0000
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