We all know them in real life. They are those people who scrutinize our words, actions and choices, and who are ever ready to impose their scruples on others. Such Christian censors also lurk on social media, inspecting your life, examining your lifestyle and comments.
What They Do
They severely criticize. That is what they do. They are self-appointed policemen of your social media life. They examine your comments, posts and life choices and then confront you in a public online forum. Often, they hardly even know you personally, just slightly and only as acquaintances.
Sometimes I wonder if such people live anything resembling a real life, a normal life. How can anyone have so much time on their hands to meddle in other peoples’ lives?!
We ought to trust the Holy Spirit to bring about holiness in one another. We ought to trust one another to grow in character, and to mature in our judgments. Wisdom and guidance from the Spirit is needed to know when and how to insert ourselves into others’ lives.
Believe it or not I have received phone calls within minutes of posting, liking, tweeting or commenting on something. And what is even more ridiculous is when I get a call, text or message about the social media activity of friends or family of mine.
Using Spirit-empowered self-control, I find a diplomatic way of saying, “Contact them directly and see what happens, coward!” This is to curtail the inordinate amount of gossip that happens under the guise of concern.
What to Do with Them
There are a number of options. The best option is to delete and block them, thus consigning them to internet oblivion. (Oops!, I might get a comment about that one. Oh, well.)
If you are not comfortable with that option there are other creative options. Another choice is to do nothing. Let the comment hang there without a response for a few days. It frustrates them and their purposes, while others are watching and waiting to see what you might do.
Or you might enjoy commenting directly and fully engaging with them. This can be a lot of fun. But you really have to have the time, because they certainly will make the time in their schedule. It will require vigilant monitoring and quick-witted responses. You will almost always win, but it can be exhausting and it leaves others wondering about you.
In the end, I have found it is simplest to create a special category for the “censorious,” exclude them from viewing certain things, thus protecting them from what they just can’t handle.
A Mediating Solution
Some of my best friends and colleagues qualify as censors. And I love them dearly. Many of them are genuinely concerned about the spiritual well-being of others. Yet, I often pray for them to gain much greater humility and much greater wisdom.
Sometimes I wonder how well they know the Gospel and its freedom and understand its full applications. Do not give in to them. (See related post and more direct application of this verse at “Christian Freedom Spies.")
Real and genuine accountability is only going to take place in a real and genuine local church, among friends. This should be a high priority for all of us to find such a place and submit ourselves to its fellowship and leadership in our lives, and take responsibility to help others on their journey of holiness in Christ.
What They Do
They severely criticize. That is what they do. They are self-appointed policemen of your social media life. They examine your comments, posts and life choices and then confront you in a public online forum. Often, they hardly even know you personally, just slightly and only as acquaintances.
Sometimes I wonder if such people live anything resembling a real life, a normal life. How can anyone have so much time on their hands to meddle in other peoples’ lives?!
We ought to trust the Holy Spirit to bring about holiness in one another. We ought to trust one another to grow in character, and to mature in our judgments. Wisdom and guidance from the Spirit is needed to know when and how to insert ourselves into others’ lives.
Believe it or not I have received phone calls within minutes of posting, liking, tweeting or commenting on something. And what is even more ridiculous is when I get a call, text or message about the social media activity of friends or family of mine.
Using Spirit-empowered self-control, I find a diplomatic way of saying, “Contact them directly and see what happens, coward!” This is to curtail the inordinate amount of gossip that happens under the guise of concern.
What to Do with Them
There are a number of options. The best option is to delete and block them, thus consigning them to internet oblivion. (Oops!, I might get a comment about that one. Oh, well.)
If you are not comfortable with that option there are other creative options. Another choice is to do nothing. Let the comment hang there without a response for a few days. It frustrates them and their purposes, while others are watching and waiting to see what you might do.
Or you might enjoy commenting directly and fully engaging with them. This can be a lot of fun. But you really have to have the time, because they certainly will make the time in their schedule. It will require vigilant monitoring and quick-witted responses. You will almost always win, but it can be exhausting and it leaves others wondering about you.
In the end, I have found it is simplest to create a special category for the “censorious,” exclude them from viewing certain things, thus protecting them from what they just can’t handle.
A Mediating Solution
Some of my best friends and colleagues qualify as censors. And I love them dearly. Many of them are genuinely concerned about the spiritual well-being of others. Yet, I often pray for them to gain much greater humility and much greater wisdom.
Sometimes I wonder how well they know the Gospel and its freedom and understand its full applications. Do not give in to them. (See related post and more direct application of this verse at “Christian Freedom Spies.")
Galatians 2:4–5 ESV “Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.”Also, I counsel them that initial confrontation, if truly warranted, needs to be private and one-on-one (Matthew 18). If they do not have the spiritual courage to approach it this way, they should probably recuse themselves from social media censorship. They will sleep much better, and so will the rest of us.
Real and genuine accountability is only going to take place in a real and genuine local church, among friends. This should be a high priority for all of us to find such a place and submit ourselves to its fellowship and leadership in our lives, and take responsibility to help others on their journey of holiness in Christ.
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