Social Media: Battlefield or Mission Field? | Go M.A.D. | Hutchcraft Ministries

Jesse:
Welcome back everyone. We're so glad you decided to join us for today's episode. When you hear the words social media, what comes to mind?

Doug and Brad dive deep into the world of social media as we contemplate the question, is social media a battlefield or a mission field? We talk through some helpful strategies about how to navigate life online. Ready?

Let's go, man!

Brad:
All right everyone, welcome back to another episode of Go Mad with Doug and Brad. I am Brad and I want to tell you guys right off, we're gonna be tackling something that is really important. We'll have a little fun with it today, but we're gonna be talking about How to make a difference on social media.

Now, I before you're like, oh, I'm not a social media person, I want you to know that we're going to even talk about that the importance of being at least somewhat in that world because the reality is if we're going to be ambassadors For Jesus with the people we love, you have people you love that are on social media. We know that's true. So we're glad you're here with us today and can't wait to see where God takes us.

Doug:
Yeah, we're uh Today, we're celebrating what I like to think is the oasis of peace, tranquility, and respectful communication that social media always is. Um, it's it's uh kind of like the warm little cuddle bug of technology, I feel. Um uh just the other day Just the other day, I was checking out Facebook and there was this conversation and this one guy was like, you know what?

This politician is the best one there is. And the other person said, you know what? I respectfully disagree.

But please, can I share my opinion with you? So we can come to a peaceful conclusion? It was great.

Doug, I don't believe you.

Brad:
And here's why. Because we live in a world that is Just crazy out there. Now, we all know it's it's kind of funny because I have to tell you, I was watching something just last night.

And it was really funny because talking about social media, YouTube is one version of social media and then Facebook live streaming and this family that has a huge worship heart. They are sitting there and they said so we're doing these live streams during COVID and and the lockdown and everything And my family watch some of them and their girls are involved with it. And there's some young girls.

So they're just kind of sometimes wandering around aimlessly in the shot and everything. It's a live stream, but they're just doing it from their back porch. This guy said that during that time, his family received 12 parenting books from people because They saw what was going on and everything and I'm just like it was it is just like but that's the wild west of social media it's just like everyone just like I've got an opinion and you're gonna hear about it, man.

Doug:
Oh man, it it it's so funny because, you know, you know those those things, everybody's got an opinion. And if you didn't believe it, just hop onto social media. Don't worry.

You'll hear plenty of them. Guys, I have a news flash for you. You ready?

This social media deal is becoming a thing. It's starting to take off. People are starting to use it.

I actually have I figured what would be the most boring possible cliche way to start this episode And I went statistics. So here you go. Woo!

So active social I I couldn't believe some of these. I gotta share these because some of these are pretty wild. Active social media users have passed the 4.

55 billion mark in this world. Over four and a half billion people. There's like seven billion people in the world are actively using social media.

85% Of US adults from 18 to 29, they are active social media users. Over 8 in 10, the average daily usage of social media, two hours and 27 minutes And I I mean what are people doing for that long? But it's f it's crun funny on social media how fast your time can get away from you.

Facebook I don't even understand the billions, so I'm going to tell you the millions. Facebook has 2,895 million monthly active users. Instagram 1,393.

Million and and this doesn't even include parents over the age of fifty that have no idea what a TikTok is.

Brad:
I don't even think just I have to ask you because that is everyone is everywhere on social media I I know that you're on Instagram, you're on Facebook. You know, you're not on there, Tom, but uh do you have a TikTok account, I have to ask?

Jesse:
It is. A mystery to me. It's like going to an aisle in Walmart that you've never seen before and you're going Wha was this here all along and why?

Doug:
I don't know why. I thought you meant why is it here? Not why I haven't. My daughter told me she's got I've got a TikTok account.

I'm like, well, I've got a a uh clock right on my phone. What do you need a TikTok account for? And she said, Dad, I I you might want to look into what this is.

So now I don't know about you guys, but I've got A few of kind of what I would say the most, I'm sorry to use the word, but kind of the most annoying uh social media posts that there are. Um the person that's always doing the constant Jim Selfie. Now sure, if you've come a long way, post a picture.

That's that's totally legitimate. But man, I already know how to shape I am Your constant ab pictures are only making it worse. Well, that that and me not doing sit-ups, but still, um the the gener the generic uplifting quotes Don't let your tomorrows become the yesterdays of today.

Um the the relentless Folks who are sharing like what they're doing on their video games. It's like, look, I care about you, but I can go on without knowing you just scored nine billion on Candy Crush. I can do it.

And what and politics, man, I don't know about you, but I don't talk about politics. social media but if you want to know how to know you're about to witness a political conversation they always start the same way you ready they start like this Now I don't want to get political, but the TMI posts, you know, the guy who's like, you would not believe what I learned about colonoscopies today. Or um Oh, and finally, we all have that friend.

This is m this is the number one most annoying thing to me on social media. We've all got that guy where you're like, I'm I'm just typing up something fun and and um so and and something lighthearted and you you're just hoping please don't come in with a comment because every time this one guy comments the conversation goes from like two to ten into like a total Stress fest where I I I was literally like talking about a few weeks ago. Yeah, a few weeks ago.

I was talking about how much I love Disneyland and sure enough the the kind of my uh comment nemesis um tunes in and he starts talking about the politics of Donald Duck. The politics of Donald Duck.

Jesse:
Doug. I'm sorry, you could have told me this face to face things. So much safer on on a side. Donald Duck's politics and I just felt like you had to know.

Brad:
Oh my goodness, that's really funny. Um I've got to tell you guys though, the reality is here's the thing. You for you did forget one category, Doug.

I get it. You had dinner last night. I see you ate dinner.

I see what was on your plate. We're fine. We can move on with life.

It's fine. But the challenge is is that we the reason I hear from a lot of people they aren't on social media is because of all those posts because we live in a the reality is a lot of those things point to me, me, me, us. You're gonna hear what I think.

You're gonna see pictures of my life, what I'm doing. And people I hear all the time from people, especially quite honestly, my age and older, people like, hey, I don't want the drama. I'm I'm leaving Facebook because I don't want the drama.

I don't like the politics. I don't like this and that. But here's the challenge is I a couple things really just hit me as I'm thinking about social media.

Is this an area that even recently, when you look at some of the conflict in the world and some of the things that are happening. One of the very first things that happens when I things start happening politically in a country and there's dissent is they lock down social media. Why is that?

Because people and nations, governments know the power of social media. They do this to try to shut down the tension, shut down differing opinions. Our enemy knows the power of social media.

You talk about awful negative content that is out there of whether it's pornography or the things people are watching and consuming. The enemy knows the power of it. Jesus knows the power of it.

I mean there are people that when they hear about Jesus on social media, their lives are being changed. They are hearing about what God has done in people's lives when it's used the right way. And so Jesus knows the power of social media.

So guys, with all this in mind. It just keeps hitting me that, yeah, there are these things that drive us nuts. There are all the but Doug, going back to the stats you shared, there are all these people out there who are looking for hope and we need to be ambassadors.

We need to be salt and light.

Doug:
Oh man, Brad, if what if Christians, what if we as believers looked at social media as the mission field instead of the battlefield. I mean, there are uh there is so much power on social media. You have a choice when things get tough when you're getting annoyed on social media.

You can leave or you can be a light Like Brad just mentioned, that's the point of this podcast, is that we are all Christ's ambassadors. God's word says if you are a follower of his, if you're a believer, We are his ambassadors. All this stuff on the news that's been going on.

You you're seeing a lot of ambassadors of countries. Their job is to represent that country. When you hear that guy talking He is speaking as that country.

When you hear me talking or Brad talking or Jesse talking, we are supposed to be communicating as Jesus, when people are looking at us, God says, remember. This God's word says remember. They are looking at you as who Jesus is.

Um the the thing that saps power for me out of social media. Is how um inauthentic it can be. Man, I thought we left all the masks that we wear in high school But it seems like everyone is trying to carefully cultivate their brand on social media.

And the only thing you're ever gonna post or talk about I'm a family man, I'm energetic, I've got it all together, my kids are angelic. I'm successful at work. I mean I can't be the only guy searching through my iPhone pics for like that picture with perfect angle lighting and you know and you know how we have um throwback Thursday, man?

What if we had like a real me Monday? Someone snaps a pic of you like pre-coffee when you're not looking and you have to post it.

Brad:
Doug, I have to tell you that there it's really funny that you say that, the real me Monday, because one of my It's awful. One of my kids' favorite things to do for some reason to their amazing, wonderful, caring, loving mom. is take candid pictures of her just the in the middle of doing whatever and then they just send it to her on her phone.

And I'm just gonna tell you, candid pictures The real me Monday, they are, they are not what I am seeing on social media for people. They do it to me sometimes, and I'm just like Delete it. Delete it now.

Your allowance is hinging on you deleting that photo.

Doug:
My kids do the same thing to me. What's going on here? Aren't they supposed to love us?

Uh okay, Brad. What I I'm gonna ask you, I'm gonna put you on the spot here. What would you say my brand is?

You see what I put on social media. What would you say my brand is? I I kind of have an idea of what I think your brand is.

What would you say my social media brand is? Hmm.

Brad:
Is the A Team a brand? I I don't uh the eighties? Um I'm gonna say I'm gonna say Are you saying kind of Mr. T?

No No, I'm not saying I'm not saying Mr. T. Um, I would say, no, I would say probably brand of I'd go with an 80s mixed with truth. Mixed with uh I'm trying to think of a great TV dad. Uh that uh that I throw in the mix.

So there we go.

Doug:
Uh Reginald Vell Johnson Uh family matters. Wow. If that was the actor standing, I don't know what it's like. He was the guy who couldn't get along with with Urkel.

Jesse:
How could you possibly know that.

Doug:
I don't know. Brad's in the 80s. Everything's just started jumping into my mind. Um so here here I've got a very succinct brand for Brad When I see Brad, I think here's the brand James Dean meets snuffle up against.

Let me tell you what I mean. Nailed it. You got you got the coolness of James Dean.

You just look at the guy and you're like, that is a cool dude, but then the wisdom

Brad:
Of snuff a lover. Time to update my business cards.

Doug:
Don't tell me he's not the one that's always coming down on Sesame Street with the answers. Is he?

Brad:
You no, no, I think Doug is I'm not sure Doug's visited Sesame Street for a while. I digress, but um Snuffy was uh first of all there oh never mind Was he there? Was he real?

Is he not? Is Big Bird insane? We don't know.

So that is but we're not. That just got a real another podcast.

Doug:
That is another podcast. Oh my goodness. Alright guys, so I have what I feel like is the official so social media Bible verse.

You ready? I was kind of looking through the word. I'm like, we're talking social media and I ran over this one.

All right, here we go. Here we go JAMES CHAPTER three Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue is also a fire, a world of evil.

It sets the whole course of one's life on fire. Hello. and is itself set on fire by hell.

Wow. Hello. Um that was written way before we could trumpet everything that we say to thousands or sometimes millions of people.

at once and you think about, man, God is serious about the damage we can do with our mouths. Um it's like a billion times worse. Now I I remember a time that that my dad If you got in trouble, my dad Ron, if if you kind of got in trouble as a kid, the one thing you didn't want to hear from dad.

Son, can I see you in my study? If it was time to go into dad's study and get the door closed, it was time to talk about grades. It was a time to talk about where we could do better, shall we say, in areas, but I'll I'll never forget this.

I was probably 12 or 13 years old. I had a really bad smart mouth with my mom too much of the time to not show her the kind of respect they should have. And he looked me in the eye and he said, Doug, you have an amazing ability.

Maybe more than anyone I know to build people up with your mouth, with your words. But you also have an amazing ability of cutting people down and hurting them with your words. I think that's true for all of us.

I know it's true for me. Social media can be a nightmare. We can really hurt ourselves, hurt our reputations.

The Bible says that. that uh a good reputation in Proverbs is better than gold and rubies. But so there's the bad side of it, but there's also the good side in Ephesians 4.

29. You know, remember that says don't let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is useful for building others up. That same evil tongue that can do so much damage can do so much good.

It doesn't take much to hurt someone, but

Brad:
It also doesn't take too much to even make their day. Are you going to be it as a mission field or a battlefield? I mean, that is really important because When you look at the mission field, 1 Corinthians 9 12, where Paul says, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

That means you don't view it as a battlefield of I have to respond to everything. I have to let everyone know what I think about things. And then Matthew 5, 9, blessed are the peacemakers.

When we look at ways we can make a difference on social media, we can be ambassadors. Well, we don't do things that'll hinder the gospel of Christ. And we seek to be peacemakers.

Doug, I'm gonna ask you in a second if you've got just a couple of practical ways that we can give people as far as ways to make a difference. But I would just say One that comes to mind for me right off the top of my head, right off the bat here, is that you do not have to engage. Every situation.

In fact, you shouldn't. Do not engage every situation. And when you are going to be, we're talking about being peacemakers. We're talking about sharing Jesus with people on social media.

It doesn't mean every post that you put out there is here's John 3. 16 and here's the gospel and everything else. We need to get to that with people, but Again, it's about building a bridge.

It's about being an ambassador, being salt and light. So letting them see how you do life with Jesus. They they're you're letting them see some of the real you.

You're being vulnerable. You're being honest. And you're not just saying, hey, I've got things you need to hear, but I want you to hear some things from my heart because this is real life right now, and this is how I do real life with Jesus and the difference he makes.

So that's just something that hits me as far as even for me, how I can do more with the social media platforms that I have, which isn't a ton, but I know I have people on there who need the love of Jesus.

Doug:
You know, I think before Anyone's gonna listen to you about your savior. And boy, if you use social media, there have got to be times where you let people know where the hope in your life comes from. But I think before do you do that, people want to know first that you're in the same boat with them.

That's why authenticity is so important. So instead of like trying to find the best picture of yourself from 14 years ago after that huge diet. You know what?

Try to share with people the realness of your day. I'm having a struggle. My kids aren't getting along.

Um, I wish I hadn't eaten that third pint of Hagen Das. Um, or is that just me? Uh and and be real and then, yeah.

People start to see that you do things a little differently. You do life with Jesus. Brad, you brought up 1 Corinthians 9.

12 where Paul says, I'll put up with anything rather than getting in the way of the gospel. If if God's people would get serious just about that, we would have a completely different world. He's saying I have to, the most important thing in my life is I have to get the gospel in front of people Because that it affects their now, it affects their eternity.

This is a guy who's saying I'll put up with anything. This is a guy who had killed Jews before he became a believer. This is a guy who was so sick and tired of Pharisees, but he even said, I'll become like a Pharisee if I have to.

Even in that moment just so that I will not get in the way of the gospel. Brad, you you asked about Some things we can do to make a difference on social media. If you listen to the podcast, you know we really like to share some practical insights, some practical tips, because there is lots of division and anger Um on Facebook.

So I've got a couple of these and and I I want to see if you guys might have a couple of these too. My ways to the best ways to make a difference on social media. Here's one.

Social media is a perfect place and time for encouragement. Take a second here and think how incredible you felt the last time someone complimented you with something specific. on something uniquely great about you.

I had that happen to me a few days ago. I got instant message something. It was out of the blue and there was a very specific compliment about this happened to be about parenting and I was still thinking about it was still ringing in my ears a week later Just like an insult will be ringing in your ears a week later, but you can you can take social media with a friend you you haven't seen in forever.

You can tell maybe they're struggling, and you can you can genuinely encourage them. Another great way. Post some scripture that might actually speak to some of the crazy things going on in the world.

Now I wouldn't do this constantly because again you you want to show all aspects of you, but I'd especially say non-political scripture that that encourages people at a difficult time uh in the world Um, think of the impact of seeing the living, active truth and lie splitting word of God. After you've gone down your feed on Facebook that's full of arguments, insults, lies, and anger You can also ask for people ask people how you can specifically pray for them. Then actually do it.

You know what? I I I every now and then I'll see someone put on how can I pray for you today? And I'll there'll be like 70 comments.

People want To know you care about them in that way and then take it the next step. Actually pray for them and maybe even write in the comments very specifically, write what your prayer is, address it to the Lord. But write what your prayer is, and everyone that sees it can be praying with you.

Brad:
Yeah, and I would just say my encouragement there would be uh to pray then, even this morning. I uh was checking out what was happening on social media and I uh saw a prayer request from someone and I messaged him commenting right away, hey I'm praying for you, brother. And I stopped right then to pray because I know myself and I know I'm going to forget.

And I know that there's so much other things in coming. That's like look, stop and pray right then. A lot of times I'll even stop and pray and then comment.

Hey, I just prayed for you so that I know that it's been done.

Jesse:
And Doug, as I'm looking at James chapter three that you mentioned before, if you scroll down to verse 13, it says, Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct, let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. It's as if how I say something is just as important as what I say And social media is a great example of saying the right things in the wrong way.

Wow. But what James is saying, the wise and understanding person says the right things in the right way, in the right tone, not let me show you how wise and understanding I am. Let me show you how much wisdom I have.

compared to you, I'll show you where you're wrong. You can say the exact same thing in a loving, compassionate way that really cares for people. That's how representing Christ.

Not only in the words you type, but in your motivation behind it.

Doug:
Wow, that actually is speaking to me right now, Jesse. I'm gonna I'm gonna do that myself. Um just wanna reiterate one more time.

That yeah, even though social media can be such a hard place and can be even evil sometimes, it's amazing that technology can help us obey that command from Jesus with the Great Commission. Go to the ends of the earth with the gospel. I can't imagine when the disciples heard that, they must have been like, How in the world we could have to that?

There's only a few of us. But we can do that with technology. Now, um, my sister Lisa holds this this big Bible study every week through Zoom.

Um and it keeps growing and growing. So whatever you do, make sure you're always getting to the hope of Christ in what you post. Uh a couple last couple things write these on your fridge or better yet if your wife would get upset for you do with you doing that maybe just actually Um write them on some paper and hang them on the fridge.

but what you do before you interact on social media. A real quick one, um, we've talked about prayer before, but pray before you post.

Jesse:
Hmm.

Doug:
Pray before you post something. Get in touch with the Father. Remember before Jesus would speak to crowds, remember what he would do He would go, everyone's like, where's Jesus?

He would be off talking to his father. He was listening to the father. If he had to do that before he communicated with people, how much more should we?

You're communicating something to potentially thousands. So when you see a post from someone on social media and the Holy Spirit stirs your heart, pray for them. If you feel like you've got to write a comment to encourage someone or even maybe to be to challenge something Pray before you do it.

Number one, number two, if you're angry, if you can tell you're upset about something, go ahead, write up the post, but wait 30 seconds. Before you post it, and then read it again. And ask yourself this question.

Remember that whole WWJD thing? How about the uh WWJP? What would Jesus post?

Nice. As his ambassador. His representative to everybody.

Could you see him posting what you're about to? Could you see him commenting in that same tone with those same words? Because as his representative, it's like he is

Brad:
doing that as his ambassador. Man, that is such good stuff. Just practical takeaway value.

That's what we want to do here as part of Go mad with Doug and Brad and Jesse here. We want to be able to leave you with some practical takeaway things. And what I hope, what we all hope you're taking away from today's episode is the reality is that social media is a mission field.

We should be there. Even in the midst of the drama and the chaos and everything, you can be an ambassador. You can be Salt Might.

You can change the narrative On social media, you can be a different voice. And by using some of these simple steps that we've talked about here, you can dive into this and say, hey, I realize now. That my political viewpoint is not going to bring the hope of Jesus to someone.

That I realize that these pictures that are just focusing on just me, me, me. Are not going to bring someone to Jesus right now. They're not going to show them the hope of Jesus.

Now, it's okay to share your life with people. It's not all about just a series of social media, but it's about realizing what we post matters and saying, hey is what I'm posting. Now man, our uh our pastor Doug, he uh just talks all the time about I'm gonna reread what I'm posting before I post it.

And hey, if you've got a spouse That can read it before you post it if you're like, man, this could be controversial. If you've that check in your spirit, reread it. Have someone else do it.

And hey, guess what? There's a delete button on most keyboards still. I'm pretty sure on all keyboards.

So you don't have to post everything, even if you start throwing it out there. So I would encourage you. If you need to even listen back to this to jot down some of these practical points, but we hope that you've been encouraged to make a difference and be ambassadors on social media today.

Doug:
Yeah, thank the Lord for the delete button.

Brad:
There you go for sure.

Doug:
Guys, before we go real quick, we just want to thank you for listening. Uh there's more folks listening now and and uh we really appreciate that we we just pray we really do we pray all over All through these these episodes, we just uh pray that that you're able to take away something from here, from the scripture, from experiences. uh that will help you make a difference and be an ambassador for Christ.

If you would, if you're enjoying what you're hearing, would you leave a review wherever you get the podcast from? It makes a big difference. uh leave a rating.

I we have been working on some upcoming guests and there's just such great stuff coming up. We're really excited to keep rolling on this. So Just thank you so much.

So we're gonna sign off now. So whatever you do, whatever you're going through in your life, make sure you go mad