Tag: Evangelism

The Impact of Social Media on Our Christian Witness

On By Naty MatosIn ArticlesLeave a comment

Today, I want to delve into a personal pet peeve—social media. Admittedly, I spend more time on these platforms than I’d like to admit. While they serve as sources of information and entertainment, they can also be breeding grounds for contention. The keyboard warriors who populate these spaces often forget that, despite the virtual barrier, their words impact real people with real feelings.

What irks me most is when fellow believers, driven by fervor or frustration, become ensnared in the web of online negativity. It’s easy to forget that our life testimony can either draw people closer to Christ or push them away. While delivering the right message is essential, the way it’s conveyed matters just as much.

Scripture reminds us in Colossians 4:6 (NIV), “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

This week, I witnessed a TikTok live session unfold before my eyes, it featured a self-proclaimed believer and minister engaging in a political discourse. Unfortunately, her behavior left much to be desired. Instead of embodying the love and grace of Christ, her words were a torrent of insults and profanities. People commenting how behavior like hers repels them from Christianity is one that pains my heart.

As followers of Christ, we are called to walk in His footsteps. Being real and authentic is crucial, but embodying Christlikeness should be our guiding principle. In the journey of change, respect for those around us becomes the foundation.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) reminds us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Disagreements are inevitable, especially in the vast landscape of social media. However, our response can either foster healthy dialogue or deepen the divide. It’s essential to recognize that not everyone will share our viewpoints. Agreeing to disagree respectfully opens doors to future conversations.

In conclusion, our online behavior shapes our living testimony. This extends beyond our physical interactions into the virtual realm, where anonymity is merely an illusion. As Christians, we are never anonymous to God.

Let’s conduct an honest inventory of our behaviors and reactions, identifying areas where we can enhance our living testimony. This isn’t about putting on a façade but genuinely respecting and loving others, even in the digital mission field.

As we navigate the complexities of social media, may our actions and words reflect the love of Christ, drawing others closer to the Gospel rather than repelling them away.

As always be blessed.

WF: All things are possible

On By Naty MatosIn WorshipLeave a comment

As part of returning to blog, we are also back with our Worship Fridays. Like I said at the beginning of this week, sometimes life gets in our way. We can find ourselves in a place where we feel limited to what we are able to do. Let’s not forget that those can be distractions from our purpose. As humans we can allow ourselves to stumble but let’s not allow ourselves to fall .

Let’s live by the words we read in Matthew 19:26

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

WF: Worship Friday

 

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WF: Light up the sky

On By Naty MatosIn WorshipLeave a comment

Sometimes in life, even when we know that He is always with us, we feel alone or distressed in the journey of life. Stopping our race and looking around can give us the answer we desperately seek.

We look at the skies, we look at our children, our pets, and our plants and we can tell that undeniably someone is in control of our lives. We as believers know who that is and that’s the hope we need when we feel alone. When we feel like things are overwhelming us, that’s what we need to remember; that God lights the sky for us and that he’s always in control. That things always work for our good as we believe in our higher power Jesus Christ.

Happy Friday!

WF: Worship Friday

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WF: Through the eyes of God

On By Naty MatosIn Worship7 Comments

Condemnation always shows us the ugly side of the things that we’ve done in life. Thank God for redemption.

Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus

Let’s Praise God on this Friday and remember why the sacrifice of the cross, that it was so that we wouldn’t be what we were, but to have the opportunity of a brand new life, new beginnings and unconditional love.

Blessings

WF:Worship Friday

Related articles

Kindness

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts1 Comment

I couldn’t find in the dictionary a satisfying definition of kindness. The synonyms I found were a little bit more relatable to an understanding of what this is. I found that generosity, charity sympathy, compassion and tenderness are some of those things that are compared to kindness.

 The word of God calls us to be kind to one another and to love one another, including our enemies. I think this is where it gets tricky. Loving our families and friends is almost normal, even on our bad days. Loving someone who is not particularly nice to us or that has hurt us can be a very challenging thing. However I learned first hand the power of how a kind heart can change your relationship with someone who right now you wish you didn’t even have to see.

Years ago, I worked with this lady. To my recollection I had not done anything to her and she had not done anything to me; but it was obvious to me that my presence was a thorn in her life. She would try to avoid any kind of interaction with me. If she had to talk to me, her tone would show her frustration in our interaction. I’m the type of person who tries to be liked, so the situation didn’t sit well with me. For months I prayed that whatever was bothering her life would be lifted, that she would be blessed, that she would find the love of God; I didn’t know if she was a believer or not.

One day, I was having a personal trial. She came to my desk and said “ I know I’m not your friend, but if you need someone to talk to, know that I’m here for you”. It totally blew my mind. Before she left my desk she left a small box. Inside the box there was a little plaque that to this day stays with me wherever I go. The plaque read, “there’ nothing that God and I can’t resolve together”.  It was double amazing for me and totally spirit lifting. The message in the plaque had given me hope and it came from the person I least expected. I will say that after that day our relationship changed. I’m not saying that she became my best friend, but we were able to talk amicably and if memory serves we went to dinner once within a group of friends.

 What act of kindness can you do today for someone whose personality or actions rub you the wrong way? Are you willing to make an impact in someone’s life, just by providing a smile? Take the challenge, it’s always rewarding.

Blessings

Naty

So Long Self

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts2 Comments

There’s a song that I love by Mercy Me, “So Long Self”. I’ve been meaning to share this for a while, but I just couldn’t think of a way. Some things don’t need presentation as they stand alone. This song presents the decision of getting rid of your old self to allow God to live in you. The way it’s presented it’s like when a relationship breaks up. In reality it’s very appropriate. Until we allow Christ to live through us, we are allowing self to make decisions for us.  Self and Jesus can’t live together, because like the song says, “there’s not room for two”.

It also talks about how hard it is to get rid of self, just like a break up is…but just like some break ups it’s necessary.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live,

but Christ lives in me.

The life I now live in the body,

I live by faith in the Son of God,

who loved me and gave himself for me

So enjoy the song and I hope you get out of it the same thing I did.

Blessings