Facebook Frustrations

Facebook is a marvelous tool to connect with people and minister to them. It’s also a source of occasional frustration and conflict. Aside from increased censorship by social media platforms, you risk offending others no matter how you speak the truth in love. One time a woman unfriended me after I advised her not to sow discord amongst my other friends (Proverbs 6:19) regarding another minister we had differing opinions.

I’ve also had preachers promote their ministries and make fundraising appeals on my Facebook pages despite asking them to stop. That prompted me to change my account settings. Friends can only write comments in response to my articles and praise reports. Still, people will post stuff irrelevant to my writings. Usually, I remove these posts but have unfriended individuals who won’t respect my boundaries. In recent years, I’ve blocked (but not unfriended) many people on Messenger. With close to 5,000 friends from all over the world, I don’t have time to chat with everyone.

Another thing that has irritated me is Facebook Groups. Until a couple of years ago, friends were able to add me to these groups without my permission. A few of them took offense when I asked them to stop. One minister from India I met at a conference in South Carolina added me to two groups despite my sending two previous emails asking him not to do that. This time I emailed him two reminders: first privately but then posted a comment directly on the group page since he wasn’t checking his inbox. This minister unfriended me.

A few days before that, a Canadian pastor who friended me (but I never met in person) added me to a Facebook group promoting him and his wife. After immediately leaving that group, I sent an email asking him not to add me to any groups. This minister responded by blocking me. That’s a bit extreme. All I did was make a simple request.

I pray all my brothers and sisters in Christ grow up and pursue His purposes instead of their agenda. We are all called to reach the world but not necessarily associate and work with everybody who calls themselves a Christian. As Mike Murdock says, “Your Assignment is not to everybody, but to somebody.”

"For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." - 1 Corinthians 2:2

What About Your Friends?

There’s an old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.” The people we associate with can deeply influence our lives. 

As a boy, I had decided to stay away from alcoholic beverages. But during my late teens, many friends of mine and co-workers were into drinking beer. Wanting to have fun with them, I started going to parties and nightclubs. Gradually I fell into a lifestyle of sin. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be deceived; evil company corrupts good habits.” By the time I committed my life to the Lord, many of my drinking buddies didn’t want to hang with me anymore.

I’ve also noticed God will allow certain relationships with other Christians to end. This is so He can connect you with like-minded believers who will encourage you in your calling. Once I had a blind friend who didn’t believe it was God’s will to heal everyone. I shared Scripture proving otherwise since I wanted my friend to receive his sight. This man wouldn’t accept the truth and one day announced he didn’t want to be my friend anymore. I decided to strike back at the devil by going out witnessing that night. My former friend who rejected me was quickly replaced by many friendships made through my church’s evangelism ministry.

While God desires unity within the body of Christ, we need to be cautious being with some church-going people. Not everyone claiming to be a Christian is serious about becoming a disciple of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 5:11 (NLT) instructs us, “…not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.”

Another minister made this powerful statement, “Show me your friends and I will show you your future.” Think about the people you pal around with. Do they inspire you to go after God or the things of this world? Do your friends respect and honor you or constantly violate your boundaries? One thing I often pray is “Lord, bring the right people across my path and keep me away from the wrong people.” This prevents a lot of bad relationships from developing.

Good friends bring out the best in each other. What about your friends?

“There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” - Proverbs 18:24 (NLT)

Show Me Your Face

How would you respond if a new neighbor knocked on your door wanting to meet you but disguised himself with a mask or a hood? You would probably think that person is being weird or has something to hide. That same principle is true when connecting with people on the Internet.

Occasionally I receive Facebook friend requests from individuals that don’t have photos of themselves in their profiles. Usually, I’ll accept such requests if I already know the person. Some folks are not computer savvy and may not have photos readily available to post online. But if I don’t know the person, then I’m not obligated to accept their friend request.

One time I received a friend request from an evangelist I never heard of who had a lion’s face for his Facebook profile photo. I searched through his photo albums but couldn’t find a single picture of this man. Immediately I thought of the Don Potter song, “Show Me Your Face.” While that song is technically about seeking the Lord, I have come to the realization some Christians need to stop being so shy. Psalm 139:14 says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Children of God should not be ashamed to show their faces in public.

Some people like to be creative and use artwork for their Facebook profile picture. But if you are looking to expand your circle of influence, it’s only common courtesy to have photos of yourself available for the public to see. A few individuals have told me they don’t like using email because it seems so impersonal. Even the Bible mentions the value of face-to-face communication. 2 John 12 says, “Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.”

I’m always open to meeting new people online. But if you are serious about knowing me, don’t hide your profile. Show me your face!

“So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” - Exodus 33:11