Faithbook: Representing Jesus on Social Media

It is the Christian’s duty to live and love like Jesus on social media.

Every day, the average individual spends between 140 to 150 minutes immersed in a digital stream. For the younger generation, this saturation is almost total: 90 to 95 percent of teens are active on social media daily, typically managing a presence across at least three distinct platforms. While these networks were engineered to fulfill our fundamental human need for connection and belonging, they have scaled into a complex psychological architecture. Even a decade ago, data suggested the average user maintained approximately 636 connections; today, in a landscape dominated by the high-engagement ecosystems of TikTok, Threads, and WhatsApp, that number has surged, placing us in a state of perpetual, hyper-connected visibility.

As we navigate this digital environment, we must confront a difficult truth: while these tools bridge geographical divides, are they subtly "exalting self" or "causing division"? As Christians, our presence in these spaces is not neutral. We have a strategic and moral duty to "live and love like Jesus" within the feed, ensuring our digital footprint is a reflection of the Gospel rather than an echo of our own egos.

Key Point: It is the Christian’s duty to live and love like Jesus on social media.

Takeaway 1: Your Brain on Dopamine and the Need for "Digital Purity"

The compulsion to refresh our notifications is a calculated result of neural engineering. Social media platforms are designed to be addictive, leveraging "dopamine-driven reward loops" and "intermittent reinforcement"—essentially surprise rewards like likes and shares—to create a psychological hook akin to gambling. AI algorithms exploit our Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO), creating a cycle of validation and escape that often leads us to neglect real-world responsibilities and spiritual disciplines.

In this high-stakes environment, the principle of "Purity before Pleasure" is a critical safeguard. The digital world is rife with moral hazards: with over 30 million pornographic websites and billions of daily pornographic emails, the average age of first exposure has plummeted to just 12 years old. To maintain a state of digital purity, we must be proactive rather than reactive.

"The Internet is Satan’s playground."

A sophisticated digital strategy requires robust tools. This includes utilizing reputable filters and accountability software such as Qustodio, Net Nanny, Covenant Eyes, Bark, or Ever Accountable. For those on Facebook, browser extensions like "Fluff Busting Purity" are helpful for curating a cleaner experience. Beyond software, we must employ the "tag team method"—utilizing a spiritual safeguard or screener to vet questionable content—and practice "Stranger Danger" by rejecting requests from unknown accounts or those featuring sensual profile pictures.

Parents cannot afford to assume that their children will always make inherently good choices, resist temptation, or remain untouched by Satan’s spiritual warfare against Christians. Therefore, parents must never provide their children with unrestricted internet access without any accountability. Mothers must not assume that fathers are aware of their children’s online activities, and fathers must never relinquish the full responsibility to mothers. Parents must work together for the safety of their children because Satan is actively fighting for the souls of our children. If you are unaware of where your child goes online, engages in online activities, or observes what is online, you are already losing the battle.

Takeaway 2: The Six Signs of Digital Idolatry

While we often associate idolatry with ancient altars, social media can easily function as a modern equivalent, violating the First and Second Commandments by siphoning our devotion away from God. In a 2026 landscape where platforms like Threads and WhatsApp demand constant attention, it is easy to begin drawing our self-worth from followers rather than our Creator.

We effectively "worship" the app through six specific behaviors:

Reverence: You engage with the platform daily (or multiple times daily), reaching a point where you feel you cannot function without the digital connection.

Honor: Your device travels with you everywhere, fueled by a need for the "idol" to be an omnipresent witness to your daily life.

Priority: You check your notifications first thing in the morning, allowing the network to dictate your headspace before you have engaged in prayer or scripture.

Influence: You allow digital content to sabotage your contentment, letting curated posts convince you that your home, relationships, or career are "not enough."

Devotion: You obey the algorithm’s prompts without question—changing profile pictures for attention or posting "feelings" simply because a text box prompted you to do so.

Self-Glory: You prioritize self-promotion over the exaltation of God. This is most visible in "braggimonies"—arrogant boasting thinly veiled as spiritual testimony to secure social validation.

Takeaway 3: A Rogues' Gallery of Digital Personas

When we fail to act as representatives of the Most High God, we often adopt toxic digital personas that sow discord. These behaviors are not merely "annoying"; they are failures of Christian character.

The Terrorist. Your great pleasure in life is to highjack content on other people’s posts and make it all about your point of view. Controversy rules the day…every day.

The Reality TV Star. You air dirty laundry as a twisted form of entertainment with no privacy spared. If you are out of the limelight for a second, more drama is around the corner.

The Vaguebooker. You complain about others in the most vague, over-the-top, and public way possible. Details are never really given. You use social media to vent your frustrations out loud in order to gain sympathy. It is not about a person or problem. It is about you getting attention.

The Critic. You are the first person to criticize what others are doing or what they have said. You believe you are the keeper and defender of the truth regarding all things online. “If you cross me, you will accrue my wrath.”

The Politician. You believe that your favorite politician just might be equal to Jesus, or at least they can walk on water. If someone happens to disagree with you, fireworks will fly, but it is no Fourth of July.

The Bragger. Sharing testimonies is great, but sharing “braggimonies” is obnoxious. Bragging is arrogant and assumes you are more important than other people simply because of who you are.

The Bageler. Ok, so you had a bagel for breakfast. Good for you. Why did the world need to know about that? Maybe it is loneliness or narcissism. TOO MUCH INFORMATION.

The Pigpiler. You assume that every headline or article you read is true and that you understand the situation enough to be the judge, jury, and executioner. You pile on comment after comment expressing your view even though you have no idea what you are talking about.

The Fake Newsie. You just like posting. Everything. No matter if its true or not. Truth is inconvenient and makes for boring news feeds. Your most admirable quality is that you will defend your fake news post until death do you part.

The Memer. You may or may not have the ability to write or hold a conversation. Why do that anyway when you can just talk in memes all day? 10,000 times a day.

The Joker. Every bone in your body is a funny bone. Your greatest desire in life is to make people laugh. This is cute for a while, but shows people there is little substance.

The Soap Boxer. You missed your calling as a fire-and-brimstone pundit on talk radio, and your social media is your soap box of justification.

Doobie Downer. You are one sad little doobie. You are constantly in a crisis, oppression, or depression. Social media is your place to whine for sympathy.

The Winner. You think that every discussion is a debate you must win. There is no such thing as a discussion because you must always be the king of the mountain.

The Drama Queen. You either amplify or create unnecessary emotional upheaval as a coping mechanism resulting in a lack of self-control. You personalize things that aren't personal. You often find yourself offended by others who disagree with you. Stress is your middle name.

Takeaway 4: The "Rotten Fruit" Principle (Ephesians 4:29)

The Apostle Paul provides the definitive blueprint for digital ethics in his letter to the Ephesians. He commands that no "corrupt communication" proceed from our mouths—or our fingertips. The Greek root for "corrupt" describes something that is putrid or unprofitable, specifically referring to the stench of rotten fruit or spoiled fish.

Toxic communication, like rotten fruit, cannot nourish the community; it contaminates the environment and makes the hearers spiritually ill. The Christian life requires a "put off/put on" theology: we must "put off" the old way of life—falsehood, sinful anger, and corrosive speech—and "put on" a new nature that reflects Christ.

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29)

Conclusion: Redeeming Your Time & Testimony

Time is not an infinite resource to be squandered; it is a gift from God, who has allocated a specific number of days to each of us. We are commanded to "redeem the time," treating every hour as a treasure to be invested true riches. As digital representatives of Jesus, the question “How does my online presence reflect my Savior?” should become our most frequent diagnostic tool.

Social media is not inherently evil, but it certainly can be used that way. It is the Christian’s duty to live and love like Jesus on social media. You have but only one life to live. Live it for God's glory.