Who To Follow On Social Media by Precious C Philip

Who you follow on social media unknowingly shapes your values, life principles, lifestyle, and beliefs. Consequently, it is important you exercise caution and be deliberate on who you follow on social media. 

Unthinking and unwise Christians tend to just follow the rich, famous, popular, and celebrities on social media. But just because they're rich and famous does not mean you should follow them on social media. Just because they're celebrities does not indicate you must follow them. If you think otherwise, I ask: What is your motive for following them? Is it the Holy Spirit that directed you to them? Or are you following them because millions of people are following them - they have over 2 million followers on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter??? 

When did the number of followers people have on social media became a yardstick for the kind of people you should follow on social media as a Christian? This might be the yardstick for those who do not know God, but it is never the yardstick God expects you His child to use when choosing who to follow on social media. 

I discovered that a lot of Christians do not think twice before following anyone on social media. Once they see the individual has close to 1 million followers or that they're popular, they immediately join the fan club without giving a thought as to whether this person they're choosing to follow is heading towards the right direction or towards the destination they're headed. This is why a lot of "Christians" were following 'Hushpuppi' on social media not knowing the source of his luxurious lifestyle and saying Amen to the prayers he offered on his social media pages - coveting his pseudo lifestyle. What a pity! If you were one of his followers and you're a Christian, this article is specially for you. 

That they're celebrities does not mean you should follow them. That they're popular does not mean you need to follow them. That majority are following them does not mean you must follow them. Understand this! 

It is of utmost importance you understand that whoever you follow on social media impacts, influences, and affects your life unknowingly. They influence how you think, what you say, how you reason, how you act, the decisions you make, how you live, what you do with your life, and your relationship with God. The moment you decide to follow or befriend someone on social media, you open the door of your life for them to come in, plant seeds, and speak into your life and future. Always remember this. 

Here are some key questions you should always ask before following anyone on social media, whether a celebrity or not:

1. Is this person following Christ? 

2. Is this person living a godly lifestyle I can emulate? 

3. Is his or her lifestyle pleasing to God? 

4. Are they headed towards my destination? 

5. What is my motive for following them? Am I being driven by lust, greed, worldly pleasures, love of money, material possessions, love of a luxurious life, or the Holy Spirit is moving me to follow them because they have something of earthly & eternal value that'll be of great benefit to me? 

5. Do I know of a certain the source of their wealth, affluence, and riches? 

6. Will following this person affect my life positively or negatively? 

Understand this: If you follow those who do not seek God, who seek after money, material possessions, lust of the flesh, worldly pleasures, etc, you'll also seek after these things and not God. If you are following celebrities, musicians, actors whose lifestyle are immoral, you'll also live an immoral lifestyle. 

Just last month, I was searching for something on Instagram when I mistakenly stumbled on the IG page of a popular American female rapper, I was astounded seeing the level of nudity, sexually provocative pictures, posts, and write-ups that filled her page. I was even more surprised seeing some of my Christian IG friends following her and liking some of her immoral posts. It is shocking! Who do you want to become following such a person? You pray to be like Christ in your closet, yet you're publicly following who's not seeking to be like Christ. Does that make sense? You'll always become like who you follow.  Paul said "Follow me as I follow Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). No wonder you're still struggling with lust, fornication, masturbation, porn, and other sexual sins. 

Who you follow on social media influences your behavior, shapes your character and affects how you live.

That is how serious this issue is. Follow the right people that will affect your life positively.  Don't follow people on social media just because others are following them or because they have millions of followers. That is a lame reason to follow anyone on social media. Moreover, who you follow on social media (especially celebrities) you actually indirectly support the lifestyle they live, whether godly or ungodly lifestyle. "Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you." 2 Corinthians 6:17 

So today, as a child of God who wants to bring glory to God and fulfil the purpose for which God created you, sit down and unfollow every celebrity you know is not really following Christ or spreading truthful, edifying and educative nuggets. If they're not following Christ, they're sure following the devil, there's no neutral ground. Follow those who are following Christ. Follow those who're following the truth, living the truth, and spreading the truth. Follow those who're headed to the destination of eternal life, not eternal damnation. Follow those who have what it takes to help you realise and maximize your full God-given potentials. 

Did you know that to follow a celebrity whose lifestyle is clearly ungodly and displeasing to God is to support their immoral lifestyle, hence displease God? A friend of the world cannot be a friend of God. You can't be for them and still be for God. You must choose one and forsake the other. "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." James 4:4

Get intimate with the Holy Spirit and with God's word and you'll be able to identify the right people to follow on social media that'll help you fulfill your destiny. Because if you follow the wrong people on social media, they'll ruin your life and truncate your glorious future. It is that serious. Apply caution. 

God bless you.