Focus on People, Not Social Media

As a Christian, I’ve been chewing on this lately: God’s called me to love Him and love others—starting right here with my family. Not to stay updated with the lastest news or build some big online following. You know how it goes—we get caught up in the digital buzz. Reading the news, sharing a clever meme, or jumping into debates with folks we’ve never met.

Meanwhile, the people God’s placed right in front of us—our family—might be feeling like they’re on the back burner. A well known Pastor said it best the other day: “I’ve got thousands of followers online, but my kids barely look up from their cereal to talk to me.” Ouch.

Here’s the deal—Jesus didn’t say, “Go ye therefore and rack up retweets.” Nope. He said to make disciples (Matthew 28:19), and for most of us, that starts at home. Scripture’s clear: “Husbands, love your wives” (Ephesians 5:25), and “train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6).

That’s the mission field God’s given us first—our own household. Now, don’t get me wrong—social media’s not the enemy. It’s just a tool. I’ve shared a lot of verses online myself, and it’s awesome when it encourages someone. But when it starts stealing time from the real relationships God’s called us to nurture, we’ve got to check ourselves.

What’s it worth if a post goes viral, but my wife’s sitting there feeling unseen, or my kids only get a distracted “mm-hmm” while I’m glued to my phone? The stats back this up—studies say too much screen time chips away at family closeness.

I heard about a Christian dad who spent hours online defending some political point, while his teenager was in the next room, craving a real heart-to-heart. Man, that’s a wake-up call on missing the chance to speak God’s truth into the lives that matter most.

Billy Graham once said, “The greatest impact you’ll ever have is on your own family.” As Christians, our first priority is building faith, love, and trust with those God’s entrusted to us.

So here’s my challenge, straight from the heart: Put the phone down for a bit. Look your family in the eyes. Ask them how their day went, what’s on their mind, what they’re dreaming about. Pray with them—right there, out loud. Consider a break from social media for a day, a week, a month…

The world won’t fall apart if you miss a trending hashtag or breaking news, but your family just might grow stronger with you fully present. Let’s keep it simple, keep it real, and keep our eyes on Jesus—starting at home. To God be the glory!