Dear Facebook, I’m changing our Relationship Status

I’ve been part of the Facebook community for well over 5 years now and though there have been times that I’ve thought about giving up my FB account I’ve never been truly serious about it until now.Let me explain a little bit, I’m an INFJ which means I am THINKING all. the. time. I FEEL things intensely, I have my opinions but keep them to myself to avoid confrontation, and am rather judgmental (I’m working on this one). I am also a HSP – a highly sensitive person. This means that I feel things intensely, so much so that I can feel physically ill with the magnitude of my feelings. This means that I feel your pain and not just in a cliché way. I really feel your pain.

I love FB. There are people that I’ve connected with, other homeschoolers, introverts, and friends. It’s my connection to the outside world. But lately its been discouraging rather than encouraging. It seems as if each time I pull up FB there is another post just waiting to tear someone else down.

In light of the recent racial tension it seems like everyone has something to say, and in turn everyone is right regardless of their stance. It has been so draining. I have wept so many times over the brutality, the murders, the hate, the name calling, etc. I’ve cried in the dishwater, out on our deck in the rain with my face in my hands. I’ve cried while making lunch and my kids have comforted me. MY 5 YEAR OLD BOY HAS WRAPPED HIS ARMS AROUND ME AND PATTED ME ON THE BACK WHILE I WEPT.

What hurts almost as much as the brutality out there, is the hate filled comments and posts being put up. Posts that are being put up by fellow Christians. We are a passionate people. I get that. But I can’t see how any of it is honoring God when in one breath we are saying “love one another” and in the next calling someone an $%# because they don’t agree with us. Since when did “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good for the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers” become optional? Where is the grace?!

Maybe we need to revisit Ephesians 4:29-32:

 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

³⁰ And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

³¹ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

³² And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Are we only supposed to speak the truth in love when someone agrees with us? I refuse to step in line if it means becoming part of a group that does this. We’re eating ourselves from the inside out.

So, I’m done. I have unfollowed everyone that isn’t a group, business, or blog, and am only staying in the FB community because I’ve found a tribe of educators and introverts that I know that the Lord has called me to. My blog page will be up and I’ll still comment, post, and Lord willing, offer encouragement there.

Because isn’t that what we’re called to do – encourage and build one another up?

Let’s do that! Let’s make a pact that we’ll be the ones that love in word and deed. We’ll be the ones that show Christ to the world. We can’t do that if we are tearing each other down because in the end, why would they want a Christianity that mimics the enemies tactics? I don’t want to offer them a counterfeit Christianity – a Christianity that is so hollow that there is nothing left because we’ve done such a number on ourselves.

So, let’s do it. Let’s go and love one another.