With the rapid growth of the Internet and social media, discipleship can easily be forgotten. We are more global and connected than ever before. Though this can be an incredibly good thing as far as how easily and quickly we can extend encouragement, I believe it can pose a dangerous threat to discipleship.
First, before we go any further lets define discipleship.
For the sake of this article we will gather our definition from Mark 3:13-15:
“And He went up to the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. And He appointed the twelve, that they might be with Him, and that He might send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out demons.”
So a disciple to Jesus was someone who was physically with Him. In the New Testament a disciple was someone who learned from and followed someone else. Jesus was not the only one in the Scriptures who had disciples, John the Baptist had disciples as well. All of that to say, the discipleship I am talking about is one-on-one, face to face and one person learning from another person. One person intentionally, investing into another person, teaching them to walk in the ways of the Lord.
Could Social Media Destroy Discipleship?
Now that we all are thinking of discipleship in the same way, how could Internet and social media threaten that?
Well, to start I think we should all ask ourselves this question:
How many people have I discipled?
I mean really discipled. Not just witnessed to or sat down once or twice with, I mean someone you invested in from day one. Someone you walked through life with, someone you prayed with and cried with. I’ll go first, I can probably count all of them one one hand.
The truth is, social media can give us a cheap way out. Social media is a quick way to share good, encouraging thoughts to tons of people and receive quick affirmation and approval via “like”, “favorite” and “retweet.”
The Internet becomes dangerous when it keeps us from deeply investing in real one-on-one relationships. God is an extremely relational God. He is one God in three persons. He is literally made up of relationship. We are created in His image. We are wired to be relational, to encourage, be with, and love other people. Discipleship is God’s joy and passion for His people. Discipleship is God’s plan for redemption.
My Fear for this Generation
My fear for this generation is that we will get so connected to our devices that we lose connection with real people and in turn forget discipleship. I heard a pastor once say that “every Christian should always be receiving discipleship as well as giving discipleship.” Maybe we need to keep ourselves in check.
Think about the last words recorded from Jesus before He ascended into heaven, from Matthew 28:19:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
Don’t be afraid to disconnect in order to connect. Don’t let your cyber life destroy your discipleship.
Travis says
I offer a different perspective on discipleship and social media. You can connect with people over social media and feel a relationship. Some if that is not real intense. But many times as I disciple people face to face it isn’t always intense. So social media allows me to be connected and if I have the opportunity to be face to face that is great and we can go deep. I also think if I don’t have the opportunity face to face that is also ok. Many people will never join a bible study when they are just trying to figure out what it means to be a believer. So being able over social networks to ask questions without fear of rejection is great. They then go deeper and deeper (have seen this happen)
I also think that the Paul disciples me daily as I read is “posts” in the bible. He is disipling me from a distance. There is a message that I read as Paul wrote letters and I am able to read them. The same as writing letters or posts to other new believers and disciplining them. There is great opportunity. I think you believe this as you are online and trying to help using blogging and lead believers to have a more intimate relationship with our savior.
Emily Kantner says
Great post! Social media can definitely be a tool for discipleship and engagement, but there’s a very real danger that we can get so caught up in technology we forget our goal. As millennials, we’re always dumped in the category of being glued to our phones and neglecting face-to-face relationships. Recognizing the importance of a good balance is so important. Thanks for the encouragement!
Zachary Pritz says
Thanks for reading Emily! Glad this was encouraging to you!