Proper Online Communication for the Christian

I want to be pleasing to God.

That one sentence really is the basis for this entire article, and it should be the basis for everything I do in life. I must admit, however, that I get very frustrated at how many Christians talk one way in person, then a very different way through online means of communication. From Facebook posts to blog comments and from tweets to quotes on Pinterest, it is sometimes embarrassing to realize that someone sings “I Want to be More Like Jesus” on Sunday morning then “talks” this way online.

The real struggle is that we can too easily compartmentalize our lives, and I firmly believe that the Internet is making that even easier. Since it is just my “online self,” I can somehow justify saying and doing nearly anything online because it isn’t “real life.”

We must remember, however, that God created all space–even cyberspace! And we must remember that we are to be a shining light no matter where we are, and that includes online.

With that in mind, may I ask you to prayerfully consider some rules for online communication?

1. Be Factual. It is so easy to “fudge” the truth just a little bit online. I have messed up before and tweeted or posted something that was not right, but that was never my desire. One of the blessings of the Internet is the wealth of information, but that can lead to the curse of mis-information! Tell the truth in all your online postings, whether they are your articles or your comments on articles. Share the truth on Facebook, not just some “angle” of a political or religious story.

2. Be Encouraging. There are times when we must write things that may discourage someone, but that should never be our intent. If we are not writing or sharing encouraging things, we need to make sure that we are sharing something to teach, not try to and beat someone down. If you leave a comment on a blog that you disagree with, that’s fine (we welcome that!), but say it in a way that is encouraging to the writer. Why post all that’s wrong with the world on Facebook or Twitter? Instead, build people up with good quotes, verses, articles, or just something to make them smile.

3. Be Respectful. One of the most difficult things about online communication is that there are no non-verbal cues to go by. We cannot tell if someone is being mean or just using sarcasm to make a point. We can’t tell if someone is hurt or angry. Knowing that, then, think the best of others. Respect them and try to take what they write in the best possible light. Also, do not attack people online just because you are sitting “anonymously” at a screen. Write in respectful words and be courteous.

(As a side note, this is one I am working on and it is one reason I am not tweeting about sports as much as I used to. I enjoy my teams, but so do others, and I do not want to come across as disrespectful to others when I’m trying to make a joke about a team or sport. There’s no reason for everyone to stop tweeting about sports, but it is very easy to be disrespectful and just say, “It’s all in good fun.” By the way, since I have made this personal goal, I have seen the number of my Twitter followers grow tremendously. Maybe there’s something to it!)

4. Be Biblical. I’m not saying that everything we write online has to quote Scripture or link to a Biblical illustration. However, it concerns me how many Christians talk about and link to everything but content that is Biblical. They share movie quotes and song lyrics and thoughts on their favorite sports teams. All those things are fine, but what an opportunity we are missing when we never point people to things of eternal importance! Strive to strike a balance between how much you post about things of this world and things that will help others in their journey to the next.

5. Be Humble. For many, this is the biggest struggle. After all, you build up an audience on your blog or you have a bunch of Facebook fans, so you think everyone should just agree with you. The goal of communication online is not to make people like you. The goal of all that we do as Christians should be to help people be more like Jesus Christ. Since you aren’t Him, you need to get off your high horse and realize that it isn’t about you!

6. Be Consistent. Be online what you claim to be offline. ‘Nuff said?

These are nothing new, but I believe Christians are missing a remarkable opportunity to spread the Gospel all over the world when we fail to be online what we should be. And, if we are not being what God would have us to be, no matter where we are, we are risking our own eternal souls.

QUESTION: What did we leave out? What are some other “Be’s” that would help us all with online communication that glorifies God?

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Photo credit: Raul Hernandez Gonzalez on Creative Commons

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