I've totally felt that way. I've gotten overwhelmed and temporarily shut down my own Facebook account a time or two. If you're feeling like it's time to let it go then, by all means, do so. However, I'd like to share why I think mine is important. While it's easy to get bogged down by the negativity, (or those attention-seeking Vaguebookers) I believe Facebook is a huge ministry opportunity for those willing to devote the time and ignore the randomness.
*Facebook is an extension of me: Since I really started serving God about 15 years ago, I've always had a heart to minister to women. In the early days, I served on WM boards, taught and facilitated classes and counseling sessions, and served as a guest speaker at more than one women's ministry event. As our family grew, my home responsibilities increased and I was able to do less and less outside my home. With Facebook, the needs are there and they're obvious. Whether it's a quick comment on a post, or a more lengthy private message, Facebook provides an excellent ministry opportunity for today's Christian woman.
*Facebook as a witnessing/encouragement tool: Every single week, without fail, someone will write me a private message and ask about homeschooling, marriage, parenting, blogging--even more personal things like how I feel about head covering, dealing with hurtful family members, and more. I've even used this as my fleece a time or two to see if God wants me to spend this extra time on FB. Those are the weeks I get inundated. People trust me. They see Jesus in me and they see my life, more or less, working out. They want to know my secret and I’m able to point them to help, resources, and ultimately, to Jesus.
*Keeping up with the times: Face it--we are a digital society and we are a busy society. Yes, we want to have real face to face conversations, and we should definitely make time for that, but the reality is that no matter how much busyness we can eliminate from our own lives, there’s no guarantee that the people God wants us to minister to are going to eliminate it from theirs.
If we want to be a light in the world, we’ve got to meet people where they’re at. Sometimes that means scrolling through the mundane rambles, hateful rantings, and yucky yuck to find what God has put there for us to find. Sometimes, oftentimes, we’ll find whatever “it” is within those ramblings, rantings, and yuck.
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