Tell Me I'm Awesome

Have you guys heard of this interweb thing? I hear it's totally taking off, but it'll probably pass.

Obviously, our culture has been saturated with an online presence for at least 2 decades. In that timeframe, there has been a plethora of research and data to show the effects on our brains and--I would say--our souls. Particularly, the impact of social media is something of special note in terms of what it does to our psyche. 

We crave attention and affirmation in such blatant and obvious ways now to the point where it's simply commonplace. Certainly, there are caveats. Not everyone that has their personalized page or site uses it for unhealthy motivations; but, there's enough evidence to show that mental [un]health has increased substantially as a result of virtual connectivity or lack thereof.

Already, we deal with increased anxiety, depression, comparison and overall self-esteem issues, because of how people present themselves and what they expect in return. Like, subscribe, and click notifications--do whatever you can to validate my existence. There's a desperation to be an "influencer" for lit-er-al-ly, everything.

Then, on top of that, you add COVID-19. We have been actually forced to "live" online; in some ways, for our very own survival. Not only is your virtual presence encouraged, it's expected and even demanded. Some of us have jobs that have enabled us to continue to working digitally, and for that, we are thankful. And, in the midst of it, we're all being exposed to an even greater level of self-promotion and narcissism than ever before. I take that back. It's nothing new, it's just repackaged.

Our need for connection and love goes by different names. We need everyone to buy into our personal brand. We may even find a way to monetize it if we're really persistent. Perhaps, this season has brought about a renewed and intense desire to be seen and heard, digitally.

Look at me, notice me, buy into me and tell me I'm awesome. Find me interesting.

This is very much a Western idea. We live in a highly individualistic culture and so I would expect nothing less than what we're seeing. But for followers of Jesus, has this seeped into the motivations of our faith? With all our talk about leadership, success, and influencing, have we lost the art of following? Has our desire for self-promotion made us tone-deaf to the needs of those around us who are less fortunate? Even more, have we taken our reading and understanding of the Bible to be about me and only me?

The radical truths of scripture are typically understood in a collectivist society. "Every man (or woman) for himself (or herself)" is not a Biblical proverb. Most Eastern cultures understand this idea whether they're Christian or not. You see this in how they respond to lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders. They contain rules that we, as Americans, might look at and see some form of dictatorship or at the very least, an infringement on our 1st Amendment rights. This, by the way, sometimes holds the same status as Scripture in our hearts and minds when we're not being led by the Spirit.

So, take a moment. Breathe. Remove your cultural blinders for a moment and discern what God's Spirit is saying through the Apostle Paul 2000 years ago.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  -Philippians 2:3-4 NIV

When you open your app or browser to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and now TikTok, does this drive your motivation? When you produce or curate content for others to see, what response are you expecting? Is it for you and your own glory and personal edification? Is it for your brand? Am I being too nit-picky? Should I just get over it and let people do whatever they want to do?

Maybe. But, as followers of Jesus, we are called to die to our own agendas, goals, success and certainly our own self interest; and that flies in the face of a culture built on individualism (a.k.a. me).

Let me be clear, we are not anti-technology. We are not even anti-social media, otherwise this blog wouldn't exist. This is not meant to be binary, but it does require discernment. Our hope is to leverage the tools we've been given in order to keep on building up the people of God with encouragement, thankfulness, and love.

How do you use this unique season to revisit your motivations and to discern the core longings of your heart; not just in the digital spaces, but also in the real spaces?