FACEBOOK MINISTRY Part One: Facebook for me has been a training ground. God has used Facebook to challenge me, sharpen me, and shapen me up in so many ways. October this year would mark my sixth year on Facebook. I went through my earlier posts sometimes ago (on my first facebook account) and I could not but marvel at how much I have grown. Some of those posts are posts I dont want anyone to trace to me at all. Some of them are posts I dont believe in anymore. Some of them are posts I, myself, now challenge and query. Some of them were just sensational; lacking spiritual substance. When I was a child, I spoke like a child... because I thought like a child... and understood like a child... When I started posting on facebook, I was consumed by a desire to have many likes and comments on my posts. You know how facebook is now, dont you?It was like writing an examination and your script being marked right before you. And just as students look out for what their teachers wanted and gave him just that, I began to think of what would get more people to like my posts. For me, that was what success meant. That would make me know I am doing something ... I started thinking of stories that would catch peoples attention. I started being philosophical and sensational. I would post anything ...if that was what would get me likes and comments. And one day, the Holy Spirit asked me what I was doing on facebook. I replied, Ministry. He said to who and for who? I said, To people now, cant you see? And for you, of course. And He asked further, Are you sure lives are being touched, changed and transformed by your posts? I said a confident Yes. He asked, How do you know? And I replied, Because of the feedback I get... the likes... the comments. (In case you are wondering why it was such a big deal for me. You see, I grew up almost like an outcast... and the only way I knew to express myself was through anger and destructive habits. Now that I was born again, I became approval-driven... I am not sure I have overcome this... but I have come a long way...) He paused. Then it hit me. Who was I representing? God? Or myself? What was driving me? God or the people? Why was I posting? To bless lives or to feel good about myself and be thought successful? Dont get me wrong, please. The likes and comments are not bad in themselves... but not when they were my motivation... not when the first and only thing I thought of was, what would people like to hear? God told me to view my facebook wall as a pastor would view his pulpit. He told me my wall is sacred... and that whatever goes out from there must be because He inspired it.. not something I cooked up in my head. He told me not to think of what people would like to hear, if I wanted to make any impact in His Kingdom; and not just be thought of as ...a successful minister. He said people do not know what they need ...He is the One that knows peoples needs... just like a patient only sees symptoms but needs a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. He said if I would allow Him, He would give me what to feed people with ...and that, that is all that matters ...nothing else does. I allowed Him... but still found myself stumbling once in a while. If you were on my friend list on my former facebook account, and have ever wondered why I opened a new account, heres why: I wanted to start afresh. I wanted to start from the scratch again. I wanted to do it how God wanted it done... I wanted Him to have His way without me getting in it. Have I been successful? I cannot give you a confident Yes. But I have come a long way.... and I am willing to go further in His will for my life ... I really bless God for Facebook and all He has allowed people to teach me here. I have learnt to be bold, confident, a bit humble, more disciplined, accommodating, accepting, and tough. Sometimes, I could be very soft... other times, I could be extremely tough. I have learnt that to maximize ones life requires being both a lion and a lamb. The lion comes up when you have take your stand, be assertive and make tough decisions... the lamb comes up in your attitude, disposition and approaches to issues. I doubt if anything else could have done it for me this way. The journey is still far ahead, but I am grateful for how far I have come...
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 07:40:35 +0000
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