A quick thought for the day: Be careful not to put all your emotional hurts and pains on Facebook and social media. The honorable thing, the biblical thing, is to talk with the one who has wronged you.
There are a lot of imperfect people in the world, they say bone-headed things, they do hurtful acts with little regard for anyone else’s feelings. People can be selfish, self-centered, very inconsiderate, and need a corrective intervention. Now those are just my faults, forget about all the other fallen people in the world. If all the people I have hurt in my lifetime posted their comments on Facebook or some other social media to tell the world what a jerk I am, or God forbid, if my family posted their thoughts about me, I would never work again. Social media has become a great place to vent all of the emotional pain and hurts we are experiencing. However, you need to ask yourself “…is that the best forum to share all my rants and to be totally transparent?”
James, the Brother of our Jesus has a wonderful message about the benefits and the dangers of the tongue. If he were writing today he might add to his message the benefits and the dangers of social media.
The Dangers of using Facebook and other social media outlets as our voice:
“And do you know how many forest fires begin with a single ember from a small campfire? The tongue is a blazing fire seeking to ignite an entire world of vices. The tongue is unique among all parts of the body because it is capable of corrupting the whole body. If that were not enough, it ignites and consumes the course of creation with a fuel that originates in hell itself. Humanity is capable of taming every bird and beast in existence, even reptiles and sea creatures great and small. But no man has ever demonstrated the ability to tame his own tongue! It is a spring of restless evil, brimming with toxic poisons.” James 3:6-8
Nobody wants to confront the person who has hurt us, but we want to make sure everyone knows we are hurting. That is understandable, the pain you are feeling is real. It is deep. You want that pain to go away. In your mind expressing it or opening up, is the first step in moving beyond it. However, James wisely counsels us that the instrument, the tongue, is a very dangerous weapon whether in person or these days via social media. It is capable of causing enormous damage. It has destroyed careers, relationships, even resulted in the loss of the most precious gift, life itself. Unchecked, untamed, uninhabited it can lead to unimaginatively catastrophic results, all because we feel someone has wronged us. But we seldom take the time to seek reconciliation and forgiveness. It is so easy to just let the tongue and keyboard become our springboard for revenge.
The Benefits of the tongue, Facebook, and other social media:
More wisdom from the brother of Jesus.
“Despite its immense size and the fact that it is propelled by mighty winds, a small rudder directs the ship in any direction the pilot chooses. It’s just the same with our tongues! It’s a small muscle, capable of marvelous undertakings…. Ironically this same tongue can be both an instrument of blessing to our Lord and Father and a weapon that hurls curses upon others who are created in God’s own image.” James 3:4,9
There is so much hurt and pain in the world do we really need more people adding to that on Facebook? Would it be a much better use of our time and energy to use our tongues and our keyboards to offer words of encouragement, to be salt and light in a world overloaded with pain and darkness? Imagine the impact you could have on your social footprint if everyday people who follow you get pointed back the Jesus. What a blessing the tongue and Facebook could be.
Becoming Bridge Builders 
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