Life and Death are in the Power of the Fingers

Apr 26

Apr 26 Life and Death are in the Power of the Fingers

Why is it Hard to Tame our Fingers?

The internet, and especially social media, has changed the world. It has also changed us. Do not think that this is a blanket condemnation of social media. I am on social media, so to call judgment on its use would be condemning myself. Social media has become such a normal part of everyday life; it is simply the air we breathe. Not only is it normal, but it can be used for good purposes. It can be a valuable tool for communication, it allows us to keep up with our friends and loved ones, and some Christians use it to winsomely communicate God’s truth.

Regardless of how individuals choose to use social media, the non-negotiable for Christians is that we always use it righteously. I suggest that it is not easy. I am convinced that electronic communication, especially social media, makes it even harder to communicate righteously. It is hard enough to keep our communication righteous when we are communicating verbally (Proverbs 10:19; James 3:2). There are several reasons this is true.

Reason 1

We are prone to make a mental distinction between what we say and what we type. Scripture, however, directly connects what one says and what one writes. God holds Himself to this very standard. For example, in Galatians 3:8, Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, writes that “...the Scripture...preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand.” He makes no distinction between Scripture (the written Word) and God’s audible speech. When we make a thoughtless, unwarranted, and perhaps unarticulated distinction between what we write and what we say, we are not careful to apply Scriptural principles to our use of social media.

Reason 2

Social media communication is not checked or directed by nonverbal cues present in other forms of communication. As someone has quipped, “Technology giveth and technology taketh away.” For example, when speaking in person with someone, you can pick up body language that indicates that this conversation is not being well received. Perhaps the look on their face makes you realize that they are losing their temper. Even if you are speaking with someone over the phone, you may hear sighs, a change in tone of voice, or the person may get very quiet. This indicates that your words are not having the intended effect. This kind of quality control is essentially nonexistent with social media.

Reason 3

The short-form, instantaneous nature of social media makes it easy to be hasty and brash. Although both involve the written word, social media communication is not equivalent to writing a letter. It is a different process. Social media allows for the immediate expression of our thoughts and quick responses. Writing a letter requires much more time, thought, and deliberation. You erase and pen different words. You crumple up the paper, throw it in the wastebasket, and start over, especially when it is regarding a sensitive subject. Additionally, you also have to fold up the finished product, stuff it into an envelope, address the envelope, get a stamp, and mail it. This gives you time to change your mind. It is nowhere near as fast as pressing enter, send, post, or share.

Reason 4

Most of what we type is done in relative privacy. Others might be in the room when we make a post or send a message, but they are not usually looking over our shoulders. If we sin with our mouths, we can expect embarrassment and prompt rebuke from godly friends. On the other hand, what we communicate electronically might not be noticed, at least not right away.

It is all too easy to live as if God relates to us in a similar manner. We may begin treating certain areas of life as though they are unseen by God or off limits to Him. Those of us who grew up in church would never say this out loud; we certainly know better. However, our sinful nature tricks us into thinking that we can sin without God seeing or taking notice (Psalm 94:7). This is why it is essential that we cultivate the fear of God in all areas of life (Proverbs 9:10).

One aspect of the fear of the Lord is living with the awesome awareness that we are always under His all-seeing eye (Prov. 15:3). Nothing about us is hidden from His sight, including the secret thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Heb. 4:12). The Lord’s eyes are upon us when we sit in our easy chair with our laptop, or when we are in the car with our smartphone in hand. When we are ready to post on social media, He sees our motives, He sees our content, and He sees the way we communicate this content. If we are true believers, this awesome awareness will make it our chief concern to please Him in all that we do (2 Cor. 5:9), knowing that we will give an account at the judgment (2 Cor. 5:10). This includes giving an account for our words (Matt. 12:34–37). When we genuinely believe this, we are as conscientious about what we type as we are about what we speak.

How do we effectively deal with these modern challenges brought about by the advent of social media? I have recently published a book, Taming the Fingers: Heavenly Wisdom for Social Media, in which I ask five questions that can help us: