A bit ago, I was convicted to turn away from the “influencer model” that IG pushes— namely, reels and quick captions. I had adopted it because yes, more people see those posts than they do the simple images and wordy mini-blogs that come most naturally to me. Better for more eyes to see God’s Word, even if just in snippet form, right?
Ultimately, God made it clear that while He might be asking others to do that, it wasn’t for me. So I made a post apologizing for being drawn in, and promising to follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting, not IG’s.
And the number of followers began to drop. And drop. And drop.
I’m neither surprised nor disappointed. In fact, I take it as a sign that I’m on the right track. Because friends, I have learned that if you preach the true Gospel, you will lose.
You will lose friends.
You will lose influence.
You will lose the respect of many.
You will lose opportunities.
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” —John 15:18-25
I am not in any way equating losing social media followers with persecution. Let me make that clear. But I am hoping to illustrate a point that goes far deeper than numbers on an app:
When you share the Truth, you cannot expect to win friends. Not the kind that most people choose to be, at least.
You will lose much, but you will also gain!
You will gain true friends, the kind the Bible says are closer than a brother.
You will gain empathy for those who have yet to have their eyes opened.
You will gain an understanding that the richness of what lays ahead is so much more real than what our eyes see on this mortal plane.
You will gain the knowledge that you have become an instrument by which the Lord might usher more into His Kingdom.
If you’re a believer who stands firm in Truth, is rooted in Christ, and does not bend to the ways of the world, I’m betting you’ve lost, too. I’m betting you’re like me— someone who will never amount to much in the economy of society, but whose value is found in the shelter of the wings of the Most High. The world thinks little of us, condemns us, says we are backwards, close-minded, old fashioned. Here’s your daily reminder of what God calls you, friend: Adopted daughter.
In Christ,
Heather