Things you should never post on social media. Let me tell you a secret you may or may not know as a modern-day Christian woman: social media can make you look incredibly…stupid. Wow! That’s direct, isn’t it? Some of you might even say it’s rude, but that’s just how I am. Nah, Christians and social media don’t always mix.
Sometimes, I get on social media and act a complete nut – sharing funny stories, telling jokes, and such. It’s so fun to make others laugh and to get a good laugh myself.
Amusing, but, it’s also a dangerous two-edged sword. I see others’ posts and it dawns on me that there are some things you should never post on social media. Ever. I mean EVERRRRRR.
Christians and social media are a good match when the content posted is uplifting, informative and useful.
Social media impacts your reputation.
Social media can make you look like a fool!
Based on some of the things I see, I was prompted to write this post. Clearly, some people need me to be their “mama” and tell them what no one else has told them. Social media affects how people view you. It’s not fair, but it’s true.
Whether you’re in ministry leadership now or could be in the future, social media shapes how others perceive your character, integrity and personality.
Perceptions are powerful and not easily forgotten. Yep, social media is a game-changer and can close doors you don’t even know are there yet.
Think about it. Has your opinion ever changed about someone you knew based on their social media presence? Mine has.
That’s why some things you should never be posted on social media because it gives people a snapshot of how you think, process information, and even your moral compass.
Guess what. People are watching!
Again, it’s not fair, but it’s true.
Those media outlets give us an idea of what’s in a person’s heart, motivations and mental state -of-being. If a person is always spewing negativity on social media, it’s not a far stretch to assume they are a negative person.
Don’t judge me by that social media post!
Not long ago, I found a funny, no HILARIOUS, meme featuring LaVar Burton and The Reading Rainbow.
In the forefront of the image, it said something like “Don’t ask me something you can easily Google yourself”. Funny, right?
Well, I loved the meme and shared it!
Later in the day, my adult son called me and said “MOM! What are you doing???? ”
“What are you talking about? I asked totally dumbfounded by his weird tone of voice.
“Your social media post!” It says the _ _ _ _ word!!! He referred to a profane word we all know and is so powerful movies change their rating because of it! I’m like “NOOOOO!” Which POST??????
I heard his wife chuckle in the background. By this time he was cracking up too. I was simply mortified myself!!!!
Well. It seems the “cute” meme I so eagerly posted had a curse word in the background! I didn’t even see it! Granted, I didn’t have my reading glasses on, but either way, I DIDN’T SEE IT!
“Sister Teri be cussing”
I quickly removed the image and posted an heart-felt apology. Ugh.
Now, what if someone at my job had seen that post? Or, maybe a client?
You may know, I write curricula for churches and women’s groups… OH ME OH MY that could have been a deal-breaker for a church who was thinking of hiring me to create a small group curriculum!
I don’t “be” cussing, really I don’t!
Honestly, I haven’t said a curse word or used profanity in over 20 years. At any rate, by that one post, someone could conclude I’m a hooligan with the potty mouth of a drunken sailor! I’m not. Even worse, I could have damaged my witness!
Facebook is a horrible place to judge someone’s character, but it happens and you can’t blame folks, really.
Yeah, we have to be so very careful what we post (and make sure to read the memes we share…with our glasses on!) 🙂
Social media is like a window into your heart.
Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, TicToc (or whatever it’s called) exposes who is biased, consumed with themselves, hateful, unforgiving, or even mean-spirited.
I’d venture to say it also reveals who is insecure and who needs a date very badly. Social media is the biggest tattletale! Telling all your business, right there in your timeline. The worse part …YOU ARE DOING IT TO YOURSELF!!!!
Social Media is an illusion of friendship.
A true friend is someone who would wake up in the middle of the night to come get you after your car stalled on a highway.
A friend is a person who loves you when things are going good and plastered by your side when things are not going so well.
A real friend shares their money and resources.
An actual friend generously gives you lots of their most valuable asset – their time. Those are the people who should be privy to the delicate, personal issues of your heart and your life.
Do you agree? Tell me in the comments below.
With that said, be careful on social media and reserve some thoughts or feelings for your friends – the real ones. They know your heart and who you really are…at your core.
They will believe the best about you and never judge you by a pithy snippet of your life.
Cultivate real friends.
If you are not sure you’ll get that kind of support, you may need to do a ‘friend audit’. That means you may need to “weed” people out who act like friends, but they judge you, criticize you and make you feel bad about yourself.
Sometimes, people don’t have real life, loving relationships, so they lean on social media for support. That’s no way to live. Open your heart to real people who can be real, authentic friends. Pray for God to send you friends. I did and it worked. Took some time, but He did.
Beware of cheap imitations.
Nah, never use social media as a friend to confide.
In a real relationship the ups and the downs are palpable. They’re so genuine, so “in your face” you can’t avoid them.
Although you may want to sometimes, they are “up front and personal.”
You can’t just switch apps or turn them off. You have to go through the motions of doing life with the people you call “friends”. Accepting them as they are – warts and all.
That’s a friendship. That’s the real thing, Baby. Those folks in your timeline are not likely actual friends. I’m saying this over and over, because the lines can blur. It’s easy to confuse the real thing with the smoke screens of this digital age.
Social media isn’t bad. It does have a place.
No, social media has a lot of good in it. For example, social media platforms can augment real-life relationships.
They can make a relationship richer, but they don’t actually make the relationship itself.
For instance, when I put on a really cool outfit. My bracelet is an important accent to it but it’s not the entire outfit. It just adds to it. That’s what social media does… it just adds to your life, but cannot replace the crucial elements of it.
Straight – No Chaser
As I mentioned earlier, social media can show you who a person really is. It blast the person’s true nature like BLAM! … without anesthesia.
People can seem so sweet, and so kind until you follow them on social media, right?
Then, BOOM! You find out they are vain, short-tempered, ugly inside, racists, petty and unforgiving.
No, you don’t judge them for it, but you discover who is mature emotionally and spiritually by what they put out there.
Sometimes, it’s very disappointing.
Other times, it doesn’t surprise you one bit when they are social media cursing, posting provocative pics ranting and spewing wicked words.
All this to say, some things you should never post on social media. Let’s talk about a few now.
Now let’s get to things you should never post on social media. I’ve given you some “whys” so now we can move on the the whats.
Girl, WAIT! before you post:
- Never post when your hormones are out of whack. You’re bound to say cuckoo stuff. That means be careful what you post certain times of the month. Those times I leave social media alone.
- Never post on social media when you’re under the influence…
If you drink any kind of alcohol, take Benadryl, or have NyQuil , slowly take your finger away from the “post” button. Honey, when I see some of those posts on social media, I’m sure those folks were drunk out of their gourd. Do us (and yourself) a favor and leave it alone when you’re loopy.
- They don’t care about your ex!
Never ever ever ever EVER post anything about your ex-husband or anyone else with whom you’re angry. If you’re mad, talk to them IN REAL LIFE like a real woman and leave it there. Pray about the situation. Call a spiritually mature friend and confide in them. Do whatever you have to do! Don’t post!!! It makes you look stupid when you do.
Why put all that negativity out into the world, anyway?
Posting negative stuff always makes you look like a small person (on the interior).
Sure, you may get a lot of likes and lots of agreement, but know people are side-eyeing you for being so petty.
Or, they do like me when I see it: scroll past it realizing you’re either dark- hearted or weak, shallow in the faith.
Social media is not your therapy session!
We all feel angry sometimes; we just don’t need to post about it. For me, I call my bestie or one of my good friends to tell what’s in my head. They know me and have a context from which to judge. Facebook folks don’t know you like that.
It breaks my heart the way some people use social media to vomit out gloomy, ugly , mean attacks on others. Most of the time, when I see it, it’s young women torching their reputation with each post.
People in the world have enough problems, they don’t need yours too.
AGAIN, that’s what friends are for…just like Gladys Knight and Dionne Warwick said. Cool song!
Anyway, social media is not for ranting..unless it’s about bad customer service or something like that. 🙂 Twitter is your best friend when you need to reach out to a company. They likely respond rather quickly and help you. But, that’s another story.
Never mind…I’ll pass on YOU!
Through the years, I’ve wanted to invite people to minister with me somewhere or do a project with me only to find out who they are on social media. I find they are not ready by their posts and their attitudes. So, I’d choose someone else.
Similarly, you never know who’s watching you too. It could be an employer or someone who knows a potential one. Most definitely, be careful what you post, Christian woman.
That man don’t want “no crazy” in his life!
Maybe it’s something completely different.
What if you’re a woman desiring marriage. What do your Facebook posts say about your character? What do they tell a guy looking for a Godly woman? Do your post point him to you or run him away from you!
It’s like the Andy Mineo song, Candy Rain. He wrote the best lyrics talking about his future wife. I think he wrote this when they were dating. Check out the lyrics:
Scared of commitment, I couldn’t make a decision
But that’s when I brought it to prayer
God was like,”Yeah”
I was like,”Yeah?”
He was like, “Yeah, don’t start actin’ weird”
Listen, I made a checklist of all the things I like ’bout you
Girl, you had a light ’bout you
You emotionally healthy
Look, I checked through your IG page and you didn’t have one selfie
Ooh, you mysterious
Girl, I like that
Got a bad body, never advertise that
Guess your confidence don’t ever come from where them likes at
All my homies said, “Where you find that?”
I’m like, “Amen, I found it in church”
Why you still chasin’ them shawties that twerk?
See, dudes check you out on social media. Know that! The words in the lyric of this song are the words you want a man to say about you! Not that you were posting with a whisky sour looking drunk and half naked! C’mon!
Again, social media isn’t the devil.
Your social media persona influences how people view you and what opinions they form about you. Let those opinions be good ones. Only put out good, praise-worthy, stuff that will brighten someone’s day.
Keep your “dirty laundry” offline.
Instead of posting your therapy sessions, try to:
Trust God with the child support – not a Facebook post.
Trust God with the relationship that went south- not a Facebook post.
Trust God with that mean co-worker – not a Facebook post.
Take the higher road and come out the better person (in terms of behavior).
For that matter, trust in God and not in Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram or anything else!
Last plea: think twice before you post.
I’ve often wondered why people post things that damage their own image or that of other Christians?
I think it’s because they don’t have enough affirming relationships in real life.
Do you seek approval and affirmation from people online? You may need more off-screen friends in your life.
Never forget: social media is a permanent record that documents moods, crazy life seasons and weakest moments POTENTIALLY FOREVER. None of these should be public fodder for a “like” or a “heart”. Don’t sell yourself short that way.
I love you for reading and I hope you’ll share THIS (and not your personal business) on Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else you feel inspired to share!
Nah, not really a word “mincer”. ? Thanks so much for visiting and for your comment, Rosemarie.
Wow you don’t mince words. I agree for the most part. I do think in the Christian blogging world though their are true friendships and collaborations that start online and then progress offline. I agree with you though that we all need to make connections in real life-the internet is not a substitute.