I’m going to say something that might rub some people the wrong way, but I think Christianity has developed an attention problem. Why does everybody have to SEE everything now? You helped somebody? Camera comes out. You gave somebody some money? Better record it. You prayed for somebody? Somebody needs to know about it.
You fed somebody? Here comes the video. You did something charitable? Better make sure everybody on social media knows. And at some point, I have to ask: Are we doing this because we genuinely love GOD, or are we doing it because we love the attention that comes with people seeing us do something for GOD?
Because those are two completely different things. There was a time when you could bless somebody and nobody knew about it. You could pray for somebody privately. You could give somebody something and never mention it again. Now it seems like everything has to become CONTENT.
And yes, I understand that sharing something positive can inspire other people. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about this constant need to prove to everybody that we’re good people, spiritual people, giving people, praying people, and Christian people. Why do strangers need evidence of your relationship with GOD?
GOD already knows. Jesus literally warned about doing righteous things just to be noticed by other people in Matthew 6. So maybe we need to ask ourselves an uncomfortable question: If nobody could ever find out about the good thing you were doing, would you still do it?
No Facebook post.
No TikTok.
No YouTube video.
No Instagram picture.
No comments telling you how wonderful you are. No applause. Nobody even knows your name. Would you still do it? Because THAT is where this gets real. We have gotten so used to documenting our lives that sometimes I think we’ve forgotten that everything doesn’t belong to an audience.
Some things should still be sacred. Some prayers don’t need a microphone. Some blessings don’t need a camera. Some acts of kindness don’t need an announcement. And every testimony doesn’t have to become content five minutes after it happens.
Sometimes it can simply be between you and GOD. I’m not saying Christians shouldn’t have platforms. I’m not saying we shouldn’t talk about what GOD has done. I’m not saying we shouldn’t publicly encourage people.
I’m saying we better check our motives. Because there is a very thin line between using your platform to glorify GOD and using GOD to glorify your platform. And THAT is a conversation Christians need to be willing to have.
