Breaking Through Social Media

Breaking Through Social Media

By Kaitlyn F.

As we all know, the media is powerful in the world that we live in. With a click of a button, we can send a message for the whole world to see, whether it be a positive or a negative message. Now if we were able to categorize all the media into two categories, positive and negative, it would most defiantly seem that there would be a ton more negative than positive. On the news majority of the stories are negative, the stories that are found on social media are negative, the conversations on the radio can be negative, etc. It is very easily to get depressed because everything seems to be going wrong in the world because that is all we focus on. But we can change that. 

God called us to be the salt to the Earth and a light in the darkness. (Matthew 5:13-16) One way that we can do that is by infiltrating the media with positive messages, and positive stories. In my eyes the media is one big black whole, and we need to place little glimmers of light in it, to help people see that there is more to life than just all the bad that is happening. This could be as simple as putting an encouraging Bible verse up on social media, or writing encouraging words to a friend who may be going through a hard time. You can start a blog, or create a website that is uplifting just to name a few. There are so many things that we could do, and as being teens, we are the ones who are best equip with the ways to use social media that we can do more than an average adult could, and we can reach more people our age with encouragement. God gave each of us a set of gifts and resources and we can each use our special gifts to reach a multitude of people. 

So I challenge everyone who is reading this to change the things we put on social media to something that will bring light into the darkness, and give hope and encouragement to those on social media.

We are the Light of the World; Shining for God at School

We are the Light of the World; Shining for God at School 

By Sarah P.

As the new school year approaches, many girls around the world are either looking forward to or dreading going back to school. I know you ladies come from many different backgrounds and that some of you are home-schooled, some are private-schooled, and some are public-schooled. Although I’m currently home-schooled, I attended public school for five years and wanted to talk specifically this month about shining for Christ at school. (Home-schooled girls, keep reading! There are ways for you to shine for God at home, too!) 

It’s no secret that a lot of public and private schools are full of secular beliefs, rules, and teachings. Sadly, there are also a lot of kids attending the average middle to high school that aren’t Christian. School can get really complicated with all the social ladders, cliques, bullying, cheating, and violence. When we’re surrounded daily by all the pressures a worldly environment puts on us, we can really wonder how we could ever make things better. 

In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus tells us, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” 

First Jesus compares us to salt. In Jesus’ time, salt wasn’t just used for seasoning food. There were no refrigerators, so people used salt as a preservative to keep food from going bad. Meat was salted to keep bacteria out. In the same way, we are called to be the salt of the world: to purify it and keep sin out. 

Then Jesus compares us to a city of light and a lamp. In both of those examples He points out that a light is always visible: you can’t miss it any more than you can miss a city on top of a hill. He talks about how no one in their right mind would light a candle and then stick it under a basket. The whole purpose of a lamp is to give light and help people see where they’re going. If you’ve ever been without electricity for a while, you know how wonderful light is! It’s really hard to get around even your bedroom in the dark. Similarly, we are called to show God’s love like a shining light bulb, burning through the darkness to help others see where they’re going—and where they need to be going. 

School can be a pretty dark place to be, but as Christian girls, we have the opportunity (and responsibility) to shine like candles in a dark place. No matter how dark a room is, you can find your way around by the light of just one candle. If each of us would choose to stand for God unashamedly in our schools, everyone would see the light—our fellow students, our teachers, our principles—and be touched by it. No, standing out doesn’t always earn you the approval of others. You might lose some friends. You might be looked down on by some people. But there are others that you’ll touch in ways you might not ever know. Your peers and teachers will see a difference in you, and it will leave a lasting impression that they won’t be able to forget. 

Shine brightly this school year, dear girls. Know that no matter what dark place you walk through, the light of Christ will always see you safely home.