The Social Media Problem

I have always had a tendency to get frustrated when I hear about and see my peers accomplishing things that I have a difficult time accomplishing myself. For example, when I was a college student, I would get docked points on my papers for creativity. I always knew what I wanted to say, or how I wanted a presentation to look, but I could never make it happen. Another thing is that I like to play music, and sometimes I’ll try to write a song. I’ll have the beats in my head, maybe a melody line, but every time I get in the music software on my computer, I can’t duplicate my ideas.

I think a lot of people have this same type of frustration when it comes to comparing themselves to the people they see on social media.

We see all the good stuff everyone posts, and then look at ourselves and wonder why we are not that good.

We see everyone being happy all the time, and being a world traveler. Or maybe they have the picture-perfect family, they have everything together, whatever the case is. But then we take a look at ourselves, and we realize, we don’t have the money to travel like that person, or we don’t look the way that person looks, or our family could never be like that person's family.

We start to take these picture-perfect moments that everyone is posting online, through Facebook or Instagram, or whatever platform you prefer. This concept is the same no matter the platform. But we take these picture-perfect moments, and we start comparing ourselves to it. Then we start feeling bad about it, because we cannot measure up to it.

The truth of the matter is this: We will never measure up to perfection. If we are comparing ourselves to someone, or something else we will always fail.

The Bible says in Psalm 139:13-14: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

We are uniquely created. In the beginning when God realized Adam needed a helper, he did not create a second Adam, he did not duplicate what he already had. He created Eve, a unique person, a first edition. God has always created unique people, every single one of us is unique.
Every single one of us serves a purpose on this earth. It will be a different purpose for each of us. But God created you for a reason. He created your personality, your likes, your dislikes, your passions. Everything about you God put together in your mothers womb, because the world needs a first edition you, not a duplicate version of someone else, we need you to be who God created you to be.

You may be there thinking to yourself…”but I am not good enough” or “I can’t be used by God you don’t know what I have done”

My response to that is that God can use any experience in your life for good. Even the bad ones, even the bad ones that are not your fault. God can use them. He can use moments in your past, good ones and bad ones, and He can use them to share the Gospel with someone who is currently struggling with what you previously struggled with.

So don’t try to be the Instagram or Facebook person you see that is perfect, because no one can be perfect, those people are also not perfect, but rather embrace the unique first edition that God created you to be.