Discussion - Who am I doing this for? (Revised)

Today's society has become one big quest for attention. Along with many other things, the introduction of the "like" button on  social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Instagram has caught many of us in the trap of doing things for likes or acceptance. This thirst for acceptance has become a major hindrance in some of our lives, and without anyone there to bring a person back to earth, this once "fun thing to do" can turn into what we lean on, depend on, and focus on rather than God.

I don't believe that social media is all bad necessarily -- but like a lot of things, if used the wrong way it can cause some serious damage to a person's character.

I remember I would wake up in the morning and the first thing I would do was get on social media to see if I had any notifications. I would go through the day and in my down time I would get on social media to see what everyone else was posting. At night I would sit on my phone until the early morning hours reading my Twitter feed and scrolling down my Instagram timeline to see if anyone posted any new pictures or to see if anyone liked mine. That doesn't seem like that bad of a day does it? That's innocent right?

Wrong.

Nowhere in the summary of that day was God involved. The simple fact that social media is the first thing on your mind when you wake up and go to sleep is already a problem. We give more time to social media and other frivolous pursuits than we do to God. That my friend can be classified as an Idol. In Christianity, an idol is anything that you put before God, and I don't know if you know how God feels about idols, but if you don't you're in luck because you're about to find out.

Aside from it being in the ten commandments of things NOT to do back in the days before Christ walked the earth (Leviticus 26:1), Revelation 21:8 says "But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murders, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death." 

You have to be careful what you're spending a lot of time doing or thinking about. It could indeed become an idol, without you even realizing it. I always say, "We should spend the whole day with God and make time for other stuff, instead of spending the whole day with other stuff and making time for God." But that's another topic within itself.

As humans, I think it's safe to say that we look for acceptance and love more than anything else. Unfortunately, most of the time we look for it in what seems to be the wrongest places possible. If it is indeed love that you are looking for, the bible says in 1 John 4:16 "And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him." God doesn't just have love, God is love Himself. Don't get caught up in trying to gain the acceptance/love of people... if you reside in God and have that love inside of you that only He can provide, people that love God will love you! Sometimes instead of looking for love from other people YOU have to spread that love that you are looking for yourself. If you don't feel loved by the environment that you are surrounded by, sometimes you have to change the environment that you're in. If you can't change the environment, then you may have to try to change the atmosphere.

People are going to have something to say regardless. I've tried so many times to fit in by changing who I was as a person, or how I did my art, but at the end I just ended up being who I started as -- myself. I soon realized that it was better to just be yourself and stay yourself. It's amazing how when you have an idea or want to do something it sounds so great in your mind and to your emotions --> then you get excited and want to share --> then (depending on who you tell or how much you care), there's the defining moment where the person's answer can either encourage you or sway you away from your idea. Maybe it's more than one person. Maybe it's an overall opinion. Maybe it's how WE feel people will think about it. Regardless of who holds the weight, there shouldn't be that much weight. When we get an idea we should ask God first if it's ok with Him before we do it instead of people. Also, we shouldn't be so quick to share all of ideas because if they are still in the beginning stage they are susceptible to being changed or stolen. I could go all day on this, but I'll save it for another time.

Sometimes I wonder why we even spend so much time on these websites, on how we dress, how we act etc...trying to impress others when in the long run it doesn't even matter. Why do we look for the acceptance of men when God has already accepted us?

The bible says...

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39 

So if God loves us so much, sent His only son to earth to die for our sins so we could live, and protects/provides for us daily, then why can't we give Him all of the time and love that He deserves? Why do we seek acceptance from human beings when they can't do even half as much as God can? When you're living for God,  you can already expect the "world" to not accept you -- so is there really a point in trying to gain the world's acceptance?

A lot of Christians try to fit in...they try to be a Christian on the inside... but look like the world on the outside. Instead of speaking out on what's wrong, we have become too accepting of sin. We have to stop this in 2015. Don't you know that if God gives you a word to help someone and you don't do it, you're putting yourself at risk? As Christians we are here to please God and help others. Don't get caught up in looking for acceptance all the time when there is work that needs to be done in the Kingdom.

What are you expecting in 2015???? Let's discuss!!