How should Christians respond to lies on social media?
Sipping your coffee, you scroll through Instagram. And then your eye meets it—the social media post full of what you know to be falsehoods. You don’t want to wade into those waters, so you scroll past.
If you’re like me, this probably happens to you on a daily basis. On my Instagram account, I asked my followers what they tend to do. The majority said that they scroll past because they figure they won’t change anyone’s minds. One woman reached out to a friend about her pro-abortion post, respectfully sharing why she was pro-life, only to find herself instantly blocked on social media.
I began asking myself questions:
Is scrolling past lies on social media something that is honoring to God?
Is it a waste of time to respond to lies on social media?
What does God have to say about my social media habits?
Through my thoughts and prayers on the subject, this kept coming to the surface for me—if all things should be rooted in Christ, then my social media habits too should be submitted to Him. The question is, what does it look like to submit our social media habits to Him?
Why are we on social media?
Social media is a huge time suck, so I believe we should each have an answer for this, and that it should be connected to the commandments God has given us to love Him, love others, and go make disciples. For me, I’ve found it helpful to write a specific mission statement for my time on social so I can return to it and remind myself why I’m there.
My mission is this—to encourage and inspire women to be rooted in Christ. Whatever your mission is on social media, make it intentional and submit it to God’s word.
What does the Bible say about our words?
Before we dive into how we as Christians should respond to lies on social media, we should first look at what the Bible says about our words. These will serve as foundations for how we examine our interaction on social media.
We’re told to speak the truth—but in love (Eph. 4:15).
Our words should also be God-honoring and edifying (Eph. 4:29).
We should be wise in our words, understanding they have the potential to both destroy and build up (Prov. 20:15, Prov. 18:4, James 3:1-12).
We should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19).
We should be quick to defend the voiceless and come to others’ aid (Prov. 31:8-9).
Principles for speaking the truth.
Before we choose to speak the truth, we should examine our hearts. Are we seeking to build ourselves up or truly love the other person? I recommend saying a quick prayer for wisdom. We should always speak out of a desire for the other person’s best interests.
If we do feel convicted to reach out to someone, we should act with discernment and respect for the other person.
Here are some principles to keep in mind.
We’re not God.
It’s up to God to change people’s hearts and minds, not us. When we become overwhelmed by the falsehoods we hear, see, and read we must remember that God is God and we are not.
Prioritize gospel truths.
It’s easy to get caught up in championing our political beliefs and forget our true mission as believers—to make disciples. We should be faster to defend the gospel than we are to protect our political party.
Remember who your audience is.
Is this person a Christian? Do they recognize scripture as God’s word? What do you hold in common? This will affect when and how you respond. If they’re not a Christian, you can’t expect them to hold every Christian doctrine. It would be more fruitful to address deeper issues such as their beliefs about God.
When possible, follow up one-on-one.
No one likes to be called out in front of others. Unless you’re commenting with a simple fact-check or adding to a conversation that doesn’t appear emotionally charged, do the respectful thing and reach out via direct message. If you know the person in real life then a text, phone call, or in-person meeting provides a more fruitful way to connect.
Ask curious questions.
Try starting with curious questions to hear their perspective. You will show them respect and make them feel more comfortable, and also learn how to better respond. I learned this method from Tactics, by Gregory Koukl.
Try questions like:
What do you mean by that?
Why do you think that?
How did you come to that conclusion?
Know when to walk away.
There will be times when you reach out with the best intentions and things go downhill. Use your discretion and know when to walk away.
If they’re open to a conversation—great! You may not change their mind but you have an opportunity to be a light and plant a seed of truth in their lives. If not, know when to respectfully end the conversation and “shake the dust off your feet” (Matthew 10:14).
Know when to unfollow.
Perhaps you can’t reach out without becoming angry, or your heart isn’t in the right place to respond. You may also experience anxiety from reading their posts, or feel consumed with their content.
Use discernment with who you choose to follow. Everything we put into our minds matters (Philippians 4:8). In a way, when you follow someone, you are choosing to let them into your life. If you are actively following someone on social media you know to be posting falsehoods, I would ask why. Are you seeking to be informed? Or are you being influenced?
The takeaway
What we take in matters. We are either influencing others or being influenced. As believers in the God of truth, we should be the first to defend it. We should choose to be influenced by God, not by the culture around us.
I encourage you to view your social media habits in light of Christ, prayerfully considering how can best honor Him with your online interactions.