We can often make distinctions between our online and our offline lives and selves. There are behaviors and actions that we do online that we’d NEVER consider doing offline. Things that we click on. Things that we say and the way we say them. The thoughts we would never say out loud to people’s faces, but that we have no problem tweeting.
Have you ever met someone and then seen them on social media and there’s a HUGE discrepancy? Or vice versa, you were connected online first and then met them in real life – and they’re nothing like they were online?!
One of the ways we can “reflect a life dedicated to God, where Jesus can be seen,” is by being the same person online as we are offline.
So many of us put a tremendous amount of effort into creating a ‘Christian’ image only to show our true colors when someone posts something on Facebook we don’t agree with. This damages our credibility as Christians.
The word for this is “integrity.” While we often think that this just means someone who is ‘trustworthy,’ it’s actually much more than that. It’s about being a consistent person, whatever situation you’re in: a person of honor and wholeness.
Being a person of integrity is a powerful witness to others about what being a Christian means. How we behave on social media is only one of the places for us to have/show integrity, but it’s a fantastic place to start.