Facebook for Christians 101

Facebook. Love it or not, it is here to stay (at least for a while). Some people hate it. Some people love it. Some people use it to keep track of friends and family. Some people use it to advertise things. I read somewhere that 2 out of 5 internet users have a Facebook page.  With that in mind, below is a list of things that Christians on Facebook need to remember:

1. The other day I saw a post from a preacher friend of mine that really caught my attention. It was a news article from some web-site about politics and it looked really intriguing so I clicked on the link to read it.  The news article popped up. But so did a bunch of advertisements from a web-site that is not fit for Christian consumption.  Hey Christian! Make sure you are not inadvertently passing on some of those saucy advertisements that some of those websites like to use. 


2. And another thing, Christian! Before you pass on any of the news that you might be reading in one of your favorite alternate new sites, you may want to check to see if it's actually happening. Regurgitating phony news can only hurt your credibility. Not help it. General rule of thumb - if it sounds incredible, it probably is!


3. If your are a church leader, you should understand that some issues can be very sensitive in nature and if your purpose for having Facebook is to evangelize or edify, you might want to consider some subjects off-limits. Obviously, politics is not off-limits. But just make sure you are obeying the guidelines that the Scriptures give concerning how we are to respect our leaders.


4. Talking about sports is good – sometimes. But may I reemphasize the word 'sometimes'?  Otherwise people think that's all you ever think about. I know christians who haven’t said anything spiritual in months. They have been real busy in sports and politics but seem to have forgotten that they are witnesses first!


5. If you happen to be a salesman for any product, you might want to find another way to get your product out. I have come so close to unfriending some very good christians simply because I get tired of the promotions for their products again, and again, and again. . . . Once more, if you are a preacher, you don't want to be remembered as the guy who sells Amway (or whatever).


6. Keep in mind that companies look at your wall and friends list before hiring. And if companies are doing it, you can be sure others do it too.  You can call it stalking all you want but you know it is still happening. I wonder how many people do the same thing to preachers before visiting their church? What kind of person does your Fb page say you are?


7. Pictures – not everyone knows that what you are holding is actually a tall glass of water. The shape of the glass and the bottle communicates a message. It may not be the right message. I'm not saying that you have to drink out of a plain glass in all your pictures I'm just saying you might be careful how you post. By the way, glasses, water, and restaurants are not the only things we need to be considering. You might be dressed appropriately as you go to the park but the person behind you might not share your standards! (know what I mean?)


8. By the way, it is still gossip even though you are typing and not speaking. Keep that in mind before you post something about someone else.


9. And last but certainly not least, if you are going to post something, be aware that everyone in the world can see what kind of slang, language, or other distasteful words, that you like to use. So using phrases like "*@#$" the Broncos - definitely not that good for your testimony. Some people absolutely hate Facebook because of the "junk that gets posted on there". I agree that a lot of stuff on Facebook should probably not be there. But hey! You see junk because you have friends that post junk! And you know what to do about that!

10. As a rule, you ought to be spending WAY more time in your Bible than you do on Facebook. So honestly, which one do you "check" first in the morning? And how long do you spend there?