For the Christians out there running amuck on social media with less-than-helpful memes, poor theological statements, and not-so-Christlike social engagement, I thought I’d share my “Proverbs to Post By.”

That is, my filter for thinking through what I personally decide to post…or not.

This lesson comes by way of a lot of bad posts where I’ve hurt people and also made myself to look like a total moron…and I’m a pastor. So…yeah.

1. Proverbs 29:11, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”

Question for you: Is it a benefit to society that social media provides such an easy chance to let the world know what we think?

This proverbs lets us know that maybe the best thing isn’t to let the world know ‘just exactly what we think.’ Let the political-jabbing post pass and maybe don’t retweet that polarizing thought.

Yes, let’s have a healthy exchange of ideas. But that is not an excuse for us to unload on people…even through social media. If you’d feel just as good about posting that same thought 24 hours from now…then wait 24 hours and see. I bet you might feel differently. This sort of space gives the wise person time to process if the thought is truly helpful or articulated in a gracious way.

2. Proverbs 29:20, “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

It’s been often noted that part of the problem with social media is our ability to respond, react, or (sometimes worse) repost immediatly a thought to an event, statement, or any other such world event.

Immediately and hasty are not the same word, but they are connected and that is important to remember. Haste connotates brevity and lack of judgement. Funny…maybe time allows for better judgment.

Either way, this proverbs reminds us that knee-jerk reactions aren’t a fountain of hope for us. Our words need to be a source of grace to all who hear (Ephesians 4:29). Let us not be hasty in posting our opinions, but let us be gracious is our distribution of words.

3. Proverbs 26:20, “For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.”

This is a great proverb. Not only is the imagery spot on, but the lesson applies to so many different contexts. Here’s the big idea: Our words are often just wood for the fire of gossip. Our posts are often just wood for the fire social media.

When an fire starts on social media you can douse that fire with the water of grace in our words or with the wisdom of silence.

4. Proverbs 26:27, “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.”

I know you know what this means. You post something dumb and it’ll either implode on you or come back to haunt you. Don’t be that person. Nobody’s hearts and minds are changed for the better by social media posts – and even if there are a few examples, I could point to hundreds more of the opposite.

Let me summarize it all like this….

• When it comes to social media, we as people over react or react too quickly and we underestimate the impact of our words. Proceed with wisdom and caution.
• Don’t take the bait. Exchange ideas in a gracious manner, but don’t debate on social media. It takes too much time, causes too much hurt, and results in no real good (or at least not enough to make it worth it time and time again). Rather, spend time with people outside your perspective.
• Lastly, and this is what I’m trying to say: Think before you post – and wait before you react. You’ll be surprised at what harm is avoided and good will come with a little bit of patience and grace.