I consider myself like one of the other hundreds of millions of people who find themselves addicted to social media. I find myself bored for a few minutes and scrolling through the several different social media apps that I have to see what the latest is happening in the lives of my "800 friends."
As I scroll through and read some of the status updates that people put, I find myself in total awe. I look at my own life and the things that I post and just ask "Why?" Why do I post these things? Well, the answer is simple - acceptance. Self gratification. Bragging. Making life look like the simple, perfect social media life.
It is no lie that I've had personal struggles over the last 12 months. Struggles that some are aware of and some that no one knows. I have had one of my "800 friends" send me a private message one day asking a generic question and the conversation turned to catching up on life. The statement from that person's message hit me like a ton of bricks. "Wow, I thought you had the fairytale life!" Um, (choke, choke, cough, cough) excuse me? The picture of life that I had painted on my social media account was that I had the perfect scenario life. Do we purposely paint that picture? No, not at all. But we do find ourselves posting nothing but the good of our lives. The pieces that we want people to notice. The pieces that we want recognized and remembered. The pieces that will give us a pat on the back.
I have also found myself recently "bored" with posts from a "friend". This friend is legitimately going through a real life struggle, a struggle that no one would have ever expected. Where I do keep this friend and their family in my constant prayers, I also find myself very tired of reading their status updates. It becomes the same thing every time - and one that I can only feel is the cry for attention. The cry for acceptance.
Though I am tired of these kinds of status updates, I can't stop reading them. And of course, like the other 200 people, I am one of the "likes" on the status. But what would happen if a person put the truth on their status? Would they get likes? No, absolutely not. If you had 1 friend post "my child just washed the dishes by themselves without even being asked to. I am so blessed to have a child who likes to help" and another friend post "Such a stressful week this week. Paycheck is gone for the week but fortunately I found enough quarters to buy gas for the week." or "The bank has sent me a letter and I have to move from my home because they are foreclosing next month" -- which status are you going to "like" and which status are you going to "judge"? We would never judge the parent with the child who did their chores but yet we would turn our nose to the person who has financial struggles. Another example "My child made A Honor Roll again. I am so blessed to have such a smart child" versus "My child made an F on their report card. Praying we study harder and work to improve that grade." Um, no brainer which one to like and which one to judge. The second parent would quickly be judged as the parent who didn't take the time to study with the child probably because they were on their social media too much. HAHA! Just had to plug that in, but it is the truth! That is exactly what everyone would think!
I am just as guilty as everyone else. I obviously paint the perfect life also. We live and act as if everything is perfect when in reality there is a boat anchor pulling us down and we can barely catch a breath.
Jesus tells us that we will have trials and tribulation. He tells us that we will grieve. But our grieving is only temporary. Why don't we share our grievances so that our "800 friends" can pray with us?
John 16:20 tells us "Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy."
Don't be discouraged or let down because your 800 other friends lead the perfect life. In reality, 799 of those friends are hurting and discouraged just like you. Maybe not the same situations, but grief is grief. God does not have levels of grief. When we grieve, he grieves with us. But just know, as God tells us, our grief will turn to joy and God will use that to the very best of his ability. Your grief now may help someone in the future. That is what I am trust God to do with me!
~Randi
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