Is it possible to make Social Media Whine-Free Zone?

(Photo credit: jamespreller.com)

"Evening and morning and at noon will I utter my complaint and moan and sigh, and He will hear my voice." (Psalm 55:17, Amplified Version)

One of the great mixed blessings of this era in which we are living is the connection available through social media. I love the ability to connect with folks through the various connection points I have established. The "mixed blessing" part is that the way some people use social media drives me crazy. I hate social media whining. It it is important to note that I said "whining" not "whiners". It is the whining that drives me nuts. I love the people and realize that the act often comes out of a lot of frustration, disappointment, disillusionment, and pain.




In reading Psalm 55:17 this morning I noticed the words "complaint", "moan", and "sigh". 

So, am I giving up on my hope for a "whine-free zone" on social media since it is right there in the Bible?

In a word, no.

Here is the verse immediately preceding: "As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me." (55:16) And just a few verses after, we read: "Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail)." (55:22)

The issue is not that complaining, moaning, sighing, whining (and other words) are taboo. The issue is that we sometimes send them the wrong direction. We can send them straight to God. He is not checking Facebook to get insight into our lives. And while our social media circles can certainly pray for us (my topic today is NOT referring to sharing needs for prayer), they cannot answer our prayers. Nor can they alter our circumstances. So, what usually happens is the law of "misery loves company" and the conversation turns into a whine-fest at best or an argument at worst. And when Christ-followers engage that way, it casts a distorted image of Jesus to a world that needs to know Him.

Question: How do you determine how much of your personal discomfort to share publicly?

Please leave a comment below.  Your insight could be a great help for our online community.