What’s your news feed like these days? Do you leave your social media feeling warm and fuzzy or ready to pull your hair out?
I struggle with the negativity that runs like a current through my newsfeed. I intentionally choose to limit my time on Facebook, which is where I see most of the threads promoting dissonance and ugliness. It makes all the difference in providing a space to breathe and focus on what is most important.
[Tweet “Limiting exposure to social media provides a space to breathe and focus on what is important.”]
Throughout the strong opinions and “my way or the highway” attitudes, I still discover encouragement, love and people striving to make a positive difference. There is a sense of if we cooperate, we can avoid much of the messiness. I am not totally discouraged by what I read, see or hear and love the challenge in our beatitude today. Savor the words for a few minutes and linger over the message in the second part. I know this is what I want as a child of God.
You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family. Matthew 5:9 MSG
As I read the beatitude, I see the word cooperate. When my sons were young, they disagreed and argued. I remember very few times they hauled off and began physically fighting. When I recall these years, my memory is not completely clear as to how I managed to lay the foundation for my sons to cooperate with each other. I know I developed ground rules of respect, love for each other and sharing. From there, I stayed consistent and modeled appropriate behavior where I could. Sounds easy right?
If things were as easy as I describe, our world would not look so disagreeable. When we respond to the latest news, we have a choice – model an answer in love or from a place of anger. Cooperate instead of compete or fight. Show others love by our actions, words and what we post in our social media feeds. Get along because in the long run it’s easier than working so hard to share your opinions.
I treasure being a member of God’s family as well as my own immediate family. Both require hard work on my part to show consistent love and grace. Each family member, whether in God’s family or my own personal family, become better when I choose to cooperate. All members are equally important to the whole and should be treated accordingly.
The challenge of this beatitude teaches me daily. Whether I am home, at the store, driving to an appointment or making dinner, I make multiple choices of how to model examples of cooperation or competition. I cherish my family and want nothing more than for us to be together. I love the beauty of God’s creative weaving of personalities, ethnicities, age, gender and all the varied pieces that make up His family. There is a deep desire in my heart to be known not only by God but as a integral member of the family.
[Tweet “The beauty of God’s family is from the weaving of personalities, ethnicities, age and gender. “]
I pray I continue to learn to promote cooperation in my daily interactions with others. May my reactions filter through a lens of grace and love and may I turn to God in prayer before answering. I pray you all accept the challenge of striving toward getting along with all the members of God’s family. May God guide your decisions and may you embrace the beautiful place you have in His family.
Sabbath blessings,
A good reminder that we represent Christ and should strive to be the best ambassadors of His love that we can be. Not always easy, but always worth it! Enjoying this series, friend!
Thank you for faithfully reading throughout the series. I pray we allow ourselves to be God’s ambassadors. He will honor our “yeses” in the process. Blessings!
I am loving this series, Mary. I quit Facebook a couple or more years ago. I would just get so depressed about some of the things going on there. I am very sensitive, and any kind of confrontation or criticism of others just weighs so heavy on my heart. I deeply feel this along with you – “I love the beauty of God’s creative weaving of personalities, ethnicities, age, gender and all the varied pieces that make up His family.” Amen! His creative weaving. Each person is necessary to create the beautiful whole. 🙂 May all our words and actions speak of love and grace! Love and hugs!
I imagine quitting Facebook has been very freeing for you. Just cutting back in my time on Facebook has already made me feel better. God created such a beautiful world of people and our unique personalities should work together in love rather than be at odds with each other. I always love when you stop by here.
I do so appreciate those that can argue for policies (and necessary to stay in check in a democratic society). But falling into bullying to get ones view point across perpetuates the negativity so prevalent in the social media platforms. Love and kindness, I believe, can break that negativity even if we don’t see that happening immediately. Another great reflection on a beatitude and how it effect our world today, Mary. Thank you.
Here’s to breaking the negativity with love and kindness. I love the diversity of our world and the different perspectives we bring to a conversation but may we temper them with love and grace. So glad to have you share your insight.
I limit my time on Facebook now too. I also have chosen to hide many things as well. It keeps my heart happier and my attitude better. 🙂
I pray this for myself as well: “I pray I continue to learn to promote cooperation in my daily interactions with others. May my reactions filter through a lens of grace and love and may I turn to God in prayer before answering.” Amen. Thanks for sharing this, Mary!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels this way. Thank you for praying this prayer with me. God hears us and honors our requests by being patient with us as we learn. I’m so glad you joined me here today.
I run from loudness, negativity and drama, I guess I am highly sensitive. So why I need Jesus, I need to love those people too and be a reflection of HIM to others, so I stay for that, however important to create safe loving boundaries in those spaces. I do love IG the beautiful pictures and post people share.
I am right there running with you. I also love IG. It provides me much joy to spend time seeing the encouragement and beautiful pictures. We are called to love everyone even when it’s hard. I am praying for all of us that we seek love first in our words, actions and deeds.
Yes, even the negativity on FB is helpful if we use it to determine that we DON”T want to be like that. Thank you for the way you transitioned from the Truth of the Beatitude into our very real world. I remember when my boys were all very young, I used to pray the prayer of St. Francis of Assissi, smiling because so much of it that sounds like the work of a diplomat was actually going on in my little home:
“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love; where there is injury pardon; where there is doubt faith; where there is despair hope; where there is darkness light; where there is sadness joy . . .”
I’ve learned since then that St. Francis didn’t really have anything to do with writing that prayer, so my theory is that some beleaguered mum . . .
I love the Prayer of St. Francis whether he wrote it or not. I could see a frazzled mom sending these words up as a desperate prayer. Raising boys is an adventure and I am blessed that something I did seemed to work well. I see you wrote about the beatitudes this week at Blessed Transgressions. Thank you for sharing your thoughts too. Praying you have a great week!
Oh friend, yes! I struggle with all the negativity too. I want to be “slow to speak and slow to anger.” I truly believe that kindness and compassion and especially love can prevail if we listen to one another and don’t jump to an immediate reaction. Great thoughts to reflect on and ponder.
I hope you’ll join me in prayer for love to be the “go to” choice for all. I know it’s hard and I’m not always good at it myself. I believe with you that kindness and compassion can prevail. God is bigger and stronger than all the negativity. Love and hugs!