Dear Friends,
The writers of the New Testament used epistles — hand written letters delivered by a messenger — to share their faith and spread the Gospel. Today, “snail mail” has largely been replaced by email, posting on websites such as Instagram, Linkedin, and Facebook, and by “tweets”.
Which leads me to the topic of Twitter. As most of you know, Twitter is a social media network that has millions of users. Instead of sending a lengthy message, (prior to 2017) Twitter users were forced to get their point across in 140 characters or less. In some ways, Twitter’s approach reflected both scriptural and philosophical advice:
“A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.” Proverbs 17:27 (NLT)
“Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.”
Proverbs 10:19 (NIV)
“If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind, give it more thought.” Dennis Roth
Brevity can be wonderful, but brevity can also be the enemy of understanding. Some things are just too important for the Twitter approach. Marriage proposals, breaking up a relationship, and terminating an employee are best handled “face-to-face” using as many words as necessary. (I’ve heard of all of these happening over social media.)
Sharing your faith with friends and loved ones is another thing that is best handled face-to-face. Of course, we can’t always have a face-to-face conversation. Friends and loved ones may live too far away. Some may feel uncomfortable and change the subject when you bring up the topic of faith. Then there are millennials who may feel more comfortable “face-to-screen” than they are “face-to-face.”
The apostle Paul stressed the importance of flexibility when sharing the Gospel. “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:22)
In a digital world, you may have to become a “techno geek” to get your message across. But where do you begin? Even something as simple as sharing a favorite Scripture may make a difference in someone’s life. Adding a verse of Scripture below your signature on an email is one way to spread the Good News.
If you are on Facebook or Linkedin, you can include a short testimony in the “Describe who you are” section. If you are compelled to use Twitter, share a verse or two… or even short testimonial:
[Contact name] “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (KJV)
[contact name] “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God/” Ephesians 2:8
[Contact name] “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13
One of the best ways to share the Gospel is to share your personal story. [contact name] I’d love to share with you the difference my faith has made in my life … more to come.
When you share your personal story using social media, you may blessed to interact with other Christians who welcome your message. Unfortunately, you may also encounter people who are disinterested, intolerant, or even hostile.
The good news is that, up to this point, in America, the greatest risk to “Techno Evangelism” is that someone will mark our emails as “spam,” send us a nasty “tweet,” or — horror of horrors — “unfriend us.”
Verse for the Week “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16 (NIV)
Blessings, Your Friends in Christ
Because He Loves Us Press 