A couple months ago, I shut down my personal Instagram account.
This is not earth-shattering news, nor do I mean to overemphasize it as if I’ve really done something amazing and selfless. My husband doesn’t participate in any form of social media, and to him quitting social media is no bigger deal than turning the TV off when it’s time to go to bed.
I realized, when it wasn’t that simple, that I had given too much time, wrapped myself in the false security of feeling known. I had commented on thoughtful posts, entered some pseudo-community where no one really cares, but opinions and clever quips are appreciated for a nanosecond. You know, before we scroll down to the next picture on the list.
I think we all know this deep down, but it sure feels good to be counted among the folks we admire. We want applause and assurance, and this is what social media offers. We can laugh and joke about it, but it’s more complicated when we try to untangle ourselves from its grip.
When I’ve brought this up to friends, when I’ve come right out and admitted it was my idol, possibly an addiction–something I thought about and looked forward to and plotted how clever I could be, they looked away. When I confessed I had dreams about various people I followed, as if I knew them in real life, they laughed.
They kindly patted me on the back and said I take things too seriously. It’s an outlet, they said, not a problem. You stay at home, no wonder you want a little interaction. We all feel better when we pretend it’s superficial nonsense. It makes us uneasy to admit we have fallen for such a painted-up version of life, that quite possibly we are wasting our lives away, consuming pixels.
Cal Newport raises the red flag on this rarely regarded phenomenon:
…the fact that our humanity was routed by these tools over the past decade should come as no surprise…We’ve been engaging in a lopsided arms race in which the technologies encroaching on our autonomy were preying with increasing precision on deep-seated vulnerabilities in our brains, while we still naively believed that we were just fiddling with fun gifts handed down from the nerd gods.
Digital Minimalism, 2019
I think the obsessiveness is actually what alerted me to the dangers. It occurred to me, after I’d deleted Instagram off my phone, that I’d been even more wrapped up in the app than I’d initially thought. I only followed 60 people or so, but I’d cultivated a nice group of writers, speakers, literary agents; all which spoke deeply into my life, my hopes and dreams. I invested in my heroes and beamed when they noticed me. I thought I had a handle (little instagram pun for ya) on what was going on. I thought I was simply keeping my toes in the water, my poker in the fire, so to speak. These actions would build my platform, these little duties of commenting, liking, subscribing, sharing would help me someday with my own voice. I would hashtag my way into a book deal, and my insta-idols would have seen it coming all along. Because of my loyalty to them, they would, in the future, promote my books and tag me in emotional, spine-tingling insta-stories.
Anyone with half an eyeball could see this slippery slope, right? Resign yourself to the ways of the world if you want success. No one has ever told me otherwise. No one, that is, except for my dad, the most backwards person of all time. He’s always examined and challenged every tiny bit of the world, down to its cogs and hinges. I’ll admit, this sort of questioning and mild suspicion doesn’t make one an easy person to get along with–but since I am my father’s daughter, it has never left me.
Throughout my day, I am measuring things against a yardstick, Truth. Everything versus Truth. My mind picks it apart into miniscule pieces; I weigh what I hear with what I know, and then I do research for fun. I nail down the proof, then I move on to my next curiosity. I know I’m a nerd, but I’m comfortable with it. It is a bizarre, underrated gift…maybe. Discernment–that’s what I prefer to call it.
There was one little insta-story that bumped its way into my feed at the same moment I happened to be studying the minor prophets. If you know me, you’ll know I’ve been wading through these not-so-popular guys for a couple years now. For some reason, I can’t shake the remarkable similarities between the people of then and our culture today. The ache of sorrow by a God whose people have run into the arms of other lovers. The just and holy God, wooing them back, warning them they are only destroying themselves.
On Instagram, one of my favorite present-day authors posted a stunning photo of a peace monument made of melted firearms and Isaiah 2:4 printed below: They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
This verse is echoed in Micah 4–a beautiful image that follows repentant worship: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths…” He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Micah 4:2-3
But my dear author friend was using it as a call to social justice, a jab at the second amendment, a denunciation of school shootings. It was misplaced, a verse taken out of context. Rewind to Joel, and the call is reversed:
Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, “I am strong!” (Joel 3:9-10)
There is a time for war; there is a time for peace. But there always seems to be a time for misplacing verses on Instagram. It was very clear to me–less screen time would silence the confusion.
Still, I am aware not everyone is consumed by minor prophet study. Most, however, have a cell phone and routinely scroll for entertainment. It feels like my duty to push the red warning button. This is where I love to write, in the median, with my yardstick handy.
So I will begin.
Jen Hatmaker is one of my former faves. She is a master of semantics. Make no mistake, she is a pro when it comes to persuading others and proving her point. I have admired her for years. Clever, funny, smart, she gained a following–a tribe, she calls it–women who eat her words like truth straight to their gut.
I am fascinated by her. Years ago, she was a writer mom like myself, mastering her domain, poking fun at the chores of life, enjoying small moments rich with meaning, and answering the deeper questions that plagued her. From what I can tell, her first book was a lucky break, but each successive book propelled her into a bigger spotlight. I was introduced to her book, 7, and so enjoyed the model of a year-long, month-by-month challenge that I laid out my own book in the same fashion.
Hatmaker’s career evolved from writing into speaking and eventually what she called “bridge building”, riding the waves of a public paid-ministry in the era of social media boom. I watched as her convictions changed and as she shifted her feet, looking for her people. I’m not sure if it was fame, fortune, or plain old people-pleasing that instigated it, but subtle things skewed her perspective. She tentatively lowered a flag that stood for Jesus and replaced it with a swinging door of modern philosophy, raising questions on what exactly dictates a spiritual compromise.
She gave interviews that snuck in concessions. Her journey had led her to doubt, and she labeled it a refinement of faith. Meanwhile, her popularity was growing and her cool factor was through the roof. She apologized to people she viewed as marginalized and poorly treated, particularly the LGBTQ community. Everyone is safe and welcome, she assured them. She tucked them under their wing and promised there was a place at God’s table for them. They were her tribe, she declared, and she wouldn’t ever again settle for such a stingy view on God.
My jaw dropped. A flashing red warning signal began spinning in my head.
I had to sit for a while with my yardstick before I understood for myself where it all went off the tracks. It wasn’t the issue of welcoming the unwelcome. I’m all for it; I’ve always felt like an outsider myself. There is a big table set, and I think someday our minds will be blown by the people we meet in Heaven. The deeper, graver matter was how Jen Hatmaker no longer stood as a conduit for Jesus, but rather a new philosophy on grace. And Jesus was no longer a part of it.
Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be under God’s curse!
Galatians 1:7-8
Jen Hatmaker hasn’t been the only one. A whole list of beautiful people I’ve had my eye on have disappointed me with their words and choices. Hatmaker seems to have the thickest skin among them all–and I don’t mean to tear anyone apart–but I’ve seen these leaders, once solid and grounded, change their tune. Their initial, unique voice grew louder and morphed into political activism or social justice, or hints of a pseudo-freedom apart from Christ. It baffles me, but it isn’t unheard of.
It is well-documented: people are easily swayed. We move to the beat of our convictions, feelings, upbringing, circumstances, and better judgment. If you desire something, you’ll look for ways to enable your lust. If you hate someone or something, you will find ways to justify your hate. It is what sin is all about; it is the fruit of human nature. Think of Hitler, think of Stalin, Mussolini, North Korea, Communist China. Think of Republicans and Democrats, CNN and Fox News. Think on how they all reached or reach just far enough to scratch the ears of the people around them, how they stoke a fire that was already burning in the hearts of those who agree with them. Think on how they eschewed a sound mind and truth in favor of power and propaganda. Think how they established their own tribes, people who rise and fall at their whim. History is full of leaders leading and followers, following. We trace it back even to the time of Jesus–important-looking people swaying weak-minded individuals and convincing them to follow along. Blind men leading blind men, Jesus called the Pharisees, “both headed for the pit.” (Matthew 15) In one breath, Jesus dismissed these phonies and didn’t make any apologies about it. He was never afraid of offending the greater religious community, even though they actively sought to catch him in lies, to destroy him. He called a spade a spade.
In our culture today, we wonder how to approach hurting people with the love of Jesus, but there is confusion on who to approach and how to do it. We often err on the side of being sensitive, and we come off as wimps or half-hearted, already defeated door-knockers. But there are two clear sides. Ephesians 5 is an astounding, word by word recipe for saints. Unmarked by impurity, immorality, idolatry, idiocy–we are to light the world up and “expose the unfruitful deeds of darkness.” The chapter says, “do not let anyone deceive you with empty words–have nothing to do with them!” (Ephesians 5:6-7). These empty-worded ones are the folks on the other side of the tracks, people who “did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind so they do what ought not to be done (Romans 1).
I’ve realized that this is the offense in following Jesus today. It is intolerance to sneaky, empty words and a depraved mind. It is exposing darkness. It’s the forsaking of the white-washed tomb people. The ones who look admirable and dress up Christianity as model living, using power, prestige, and beauty–to influence babies in the faith.
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8
We are thumping on watermelons, trying to spot the bad ones. Pointing them out is going to cost us big time.
Our same Jesus peeled back the exterior of our heart. He exposed our real intentions when it comes to relationships. It was disarming for Jesus to say, “if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them…But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return…” (Luke 6:32,35)
It is natural to love those we love, gain the admiration of folks like us, and think we must have a good thing going. It is upside down, however (not to mention unprofitable), to seek the good of our enemies, to invest in things that do not profit us. If we bend so naturally to our own inclinations, how then can we do the unnatural? How can we inhabit the perfect spirit of Christ and love our enemies? How do we abide in truth so we won’t be swayed by what isn’t true? How can we become genuine leaders and faithful disciples rather than puppet celebrities and gawking audience members?
This is what I so long to ask my brothers and sisters who fall for the quick wit and false humility typical of our modern teachers. What credit is it to us to love what is easy to love, that which costs us nothing more than mindlessly scrolling social media? We let our “influencers” lead us astray, one tiny step at a time, and meanwhile we have no idea how we lost our way. We don’t know why it is we believe a certain flavor or half-truth. We don’t know how to defend our faith that has been watered down by rote human arguments.
How quickly our faith falls apart when we rely on our own wisdom and the Jen Hatmakers of today! If we do not know what is true, if we don’t ask God to reveal to us what is Truth, how in the world can we refute what is false? How can Jen Hatmaker or news media outlet or any voice in your earbuds not sway you to whatever version of truth they prefer? You have, by default, willingly made yourself vulnerable to the arrows of the enemy. And if you don’t believe there is an enemy, you likewise deny there is purpose in some higher Truth, say, that life itself has meaning. You deny there is any holy work yet to be done in your life. Believe me, this lie is uglier and more dangerous than we give credit. I can’t even wrap my mind around how this works. In 2 Thessalonians there is a perplexing description of God sending people who don’t love the Truth “a deluding influence so they will believe what is false.”
Simply put, we have got to cling to Truth. We’ve got to crave the pure milk of the Word.
Has Jen Hatmaker forgotten who we are as men and women, professed believers in Jesus and “co-laborers in Christ”? Has she forgotten we are to be leading people to this real Life, the one true shepherd of their souls, not stamping unrighteousness with a good housekeeping seal of approval? We are to kneel, broken over our sin, filled with love and hope for our fellow broken humans.
We are to live transparent before God: “Seek me, know my anxious heart, try my thoughts and lead me in the path of everlasting”–a cry that rallies all of us unworthy sinners longing for redemption.
When a doctrine is created only to uphold a man’s logic, a springboard for launching one’s own self-promoting opinions, we should see this as a red flag. Such a platform ultimately (and publicly) denying there is a God in Heaven whose ways are “higher than ours” and “too wonderful for me to understand”. You see, there is only one Creed worth holding to, and it didn’t bubble up and out of the heart of man. It is Love that led Jesus, a perfect man, God-in-flesh, to the cross to die, a perfect sacrifice on our behalf. It is what will lead us to our own deaths as well, a death that will finally lead to real, victorious life.
An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.
The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful;
He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
Even on his bed he plots evil;
He commits himself to a sinful course
And does not reject what is wrong.
Psalm 36:1-4
Proud. Not God-fearing. Flatters himself and doesn’t even think there’s a thing wrong with it. Lying. No longer wise, no longer does good. Committed to his own cause because he can no longer decipher between good and evil.
What rattles me is our response to such false teachers. We are supposed to recognize these tomb people for who they truly are, but it is complicated. They look awfully clean on the outside. They easily convince us–they toss out ideas like unity, acceptance, peace, generosity– and it is a simple matter to fall in line. It hardly requires anything of us, only that we agree. Anybody can quote a Bible verse here and there. Taylor Swift could spin a proverb into a catchy ditty that everyone will sing along to, but to know God, to wrap yourself around the entire story, to plunge the depths of wisdom in the Word, to be absolutely wrecked, changed, and be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ–this is a whole other story. This is what God intends to do with us when we are drawn to Him.
It serves us well to poke holes in the wisdom of the world, to flat out refuse to fall in line with the modern prophets, to dissect their words under a high-powered microscope lens. It isn’t, as influencers would like to sway us, unkind. No. Pull out your measuring stick and see if what they are saying sizes up.
The most difficult next move is calling them out. It’s the matter of dragging the dark things into the light. People with power hate to be exposed. For the whistleblower, the consequences of exposing lies for what they are leads to persecution. Nothing is more hurtful than being ostracized, the physical distancing of your old friends from you.
“Blessed are you when people persecute you and say all sorts of false things against you,” Jesus said. He told us this was coming, and he said our reward was waiting for us in Heaven. Imagine that! Our persecution is our very assurance that He will make it all right one day.
Can I say, fellow laborers, listen closely. Pray for wisdom and clarity in this day, because confusion reigns and there are many who want you to follow them. Don’t be a person who blindly follows when the truth is displayed clearly in your Bible. Pick it up, read for yourself. Hide His Word in your heart, tattoo it to your soul. Ask God to help you understand, to be able to distinguish what He says as opposed to what popular leaders say. The true believer is broken by his sin, not emboldened by his own voice.
And then, my friends, when you realize this is your battle: speak up. Clear your throats and speak louder, be a sign spinner and neon-light your way to leading people to Jesus. You don’t have to have a snazzy podcast of your own or charisma that slaps people over the head. Elevate the lowly. Shake the dust off your feet. Position yourself in such a way that is efficient and productive. Live as honest and humble as you can. Use your gifts, even the nerdy, Bible-studying ones, to bring the Kingdom right here, right now. It won’t hurt to get the heck off Instagram.
You were made for this.
Knowledge is proud it knows so much; wisdom is humble that it knows no more.
William Kowper
