The Power of Community in Life's Difficult Seasonsనమూనా

Social Media: Are we really connected? Times are changing, and so also are the ways we are connecting. In times like these, we all need friends, closure, a sense of belonging, and community. Social Media, like any other invention, is playing a major role in bringing the world closer. The challenge that confronts us today is the excessive use of social media, which often results in seeking validations from these platforms. Our validation, identity, and acceptance come from the One who created us. There are lots of benefits we all derive from social media, it connects us to friends and family in different parts of the world, it helps us make new friends, but it also has the power to take away from the relationships we have around us. How often do we find ourselves waking up in the morning only to first login to our social media platforms, checking who liked our post or who send a friend request overnight? It's becoming an unconscious habit. It's like a dose of "dopamine" we have to take to start our day. The truth is, we outsource our joy when we overly depend on people's reactions to our post, either positive or negative. We are very selective and conscious of which parts of our lives we post online, we give a brief and sometimes a filtered perspective of who we are, while there's nothing overtly wrong with that, the problem is, we can't build genuine friendship being superficial. We can't have a real connection without risking being vulnerable. The first time God said something isn't good was in Genesis 2:18 NLT, "The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone." We were designed for real connection, real relationships. That's part of why Jesus came down to earth so that we can have a personal, intimate relationship with God through Jesus. (John 14:6). So how do we ensure that we don't get sucked into the rabbit hole that is social media? We serve an intentional God. He has a plan and a purpose for absolutely everything, but we need to be intentional about how we spend our time on social media. Limit your time online and spend more time with the people around you, have game nights, read the Bible together, and offer to run errands with a friend. Build your real-life relationships and deepen them. Become socially connected, but not at the expense of building genuine relationships with close friends and family. Be intentional about the people you surround yourself with, the book of Proverbs is filled with great relationship advice, my personal favorite is Proverbs 27:17 NLT, "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." But most importantly, spend more time with God. It sounds simple, but we often don't realize how much time social media takes away from our time with our Heavenly Father. He cherishes our company. Remember your validation doesn't come from a social media like, or the lack thereof, your validation comes from the One, who created you with a specific plan and purpose.