Social media is a great tool for Christians to further God’s purpose on the earth. It’s also a great tool for Satan, allowing him to spread discord and hate across the world with a few pecks and clicks.

Are some of us caught up in the drama of politics, government, and media hype that we’ve forgotten to talk to and listen to our God about all the distress around us? Has Satan pulled us so far into worldly debate that we’ve forgotten our purpose on this Earth? Three thoughts today for Christians as I scroll through my newsfeed and cringe.

1) Pray before you post! It’s really hard to write a mean-spirited response to someone after a good, long conversation with God. Pray for wisdom to find the right words to bring people to God and not to push them away from Him.

2) Read your Bibles before crying out against sin. We must ensure, like Psalm 49:3 says, that our mouths speak words of wisdom. I worry that spouting our faith-based opinions will do more harm than good. Remember verses like James 3:17 (Wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, then gentle…)–the only way we can defend God’s truth is with pure wisdom, and that has to come from the source.

3) Remember the message we were called to spread. Mark 16:15-16 tells us to go into all the world and preach what? The Gospel! The good news! We ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but Jesus gave his life so we can be saved from our sins. For all the people out there professing to be Christians, can someone tell me why the Gospel has not gone viral among us, not just once, but on a regular, even hourly, basis?

I wonder sometimes if, for many, social media is not that buried talent like the parable in Matthew 25. It’s a gift from God, making it unthinkably easy to share the gospel with others. Would your friends and neighbors know without question that you’re a Christian based on the posts you make and share?

So next time you post, ask yourself: how can you let His light shine on social media today?