Making connections in the world today is easier than ever before. We have so many ways to make connections, yet there are still so many people alone, depressed, stressed out over everything. There are still people who feel like outcasts. To go even further we’re beginning to realize that many of the connections we are making are via screen only and do not transfer to the physical world.
Last year before me and my family relocated, the Lord put it on my heart to do an audit of our social media connections. For a month we reviewed more than 1,000 connections. We asked ourselves if we remember why we connected, do they interact with us? When was the last time we talked? If we could not answer any of these questions, we disconnected from them.
We removed 500 people from our network. Most were people from our childhood. Others were from places we had lived. And to confirm the importance of being obedient to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, out of these people only two have reached out asking why they were removed. We talked and reconnected with them, and it was great. But there’s something wrong: Why connect if you’re not going to connect? I consider it an unsolved mystery. Most just want to see what you’re doing for nefarious reasons.
Another connection I made was those who I disconnected from were not closely connected to Jesus Christ. In the act of making connections and reviewing them I saw many were very far from God. But why cut them off? Maybe I could have been a light for them? I’ve realized that if people are not praying for you, they’re praying against you. Most were posting very Anti-Christian memes and information and knew I was a Preacher! They knew I would see the posts and just didn’t care. But it wasn’t me they didn’t connect to, it was the God that I serve. And for that, the connections were strained and really just nonexistent. I learned a lot from these online friendship experiences that I think will help you in your prayer walk for making connections.
Making Connections: 3 Things to do Right Now
- Review Facebook Pages to avoid future conflicts. Know who you are connecting with. If they are receptive to the Gospel and are going to be peaceful in reading your posts and not always conflicting and being disrespectful, so be it. However, if they’re always speaking “On behalf of the Non-Believers”, let them go. They are angry at God, and are non-receptive and it’s not your job to take online abuse. You have feelings too. They knew what you stood for and who you served when they connected with you.
- Evaluate if they are truly “Your People”. Jennie Allen, author of Find Your People: Building Deep 2. Community in a Lonely World is a great read for those on the journey to make effective connections around you. Me and my wife have been on this journey since relocating to Pennsylvania from Virginia. This book has been a great influence on how we’re making connections.
- Have rules for being connected with you. Do they cuss in their posts or replies? Not with you! What people read on your Social Media is a direct reflection of who you are and who you connect with. In making connections you gotta ensure you’re still representing the Kingdom, and that everyone you connect with respects these standards. You wouldn’t let them do that in your house right? Have the same standards online too.
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A Prayer to Make Good Connections
Heavenly Father, we make a lot of connections out here in the world and some expire while others stay alive. I, like so many want to make good, healthy connections with people that will respect me, and hopefully if they don’t know you, will get to know you Jesus by how I represent myself. You told us in God’s Word that we are both salt and light to this world and I, like those who read this, want to be just that. Help us all make connections that create and add value to our lives and to God’s Kingdom. Help us to be graceful but not victimized, loving but not a target, and bold but not problematic. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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