Tag: social media

Where Do You Get Your Inspiration?

Another article in my Esther series

Rainy days are de-motivators like bad days at work or a text message that ruined your day. While rainy days give you every reason not to take that walk for your health, other de-motivators can kill your mood and creativity. And when it’s work or ministry, no one else is going to do your job. You must find your drive and inspiration.

There’s a scene in “One Night With The King” where Esther stands in the garden facing Hegai and vents her dissatisfaction with the “beauty treatments.” The Book of Esther doesn’t have this in it, but the movie reminds us of the importance of a job well done. Esther is one of 400 women and she wants to be chosen. The real life Esther fell back on her faith for strength. She accepted the challenges of her new surroundings and worked forward.

Forward momentum is where you stop looking back on the way things were and make decisions, even small ones, on the way things are, and that’s movement in the right direction. How can you make the role or job better?

Esther was chosen for her beauty because the King only valued beauty, but it was her intellect that stole his heart. Character finds a way where obstinance gets lost in its own bad attitude. Character is defined as, “one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual.” A volunteer, employee, or ministry leader with good character is essential to an organization’s success. When you lack inspiration because of current conditions, it’s important to remember whom you labor for, and find the energy to do the job well.

Finding inspiration can look like several things:

  • Audit your social media so inspiring content is also in your newsfeed. Negative content, even helpful memes that reflect what you are going through, do not help you in moving forward or finding new inspiration.
  • Make a list. Start with the simplest piece first and work your way down.
  • Change your environment. If you work remotely, bring your laptop to a coffee shop. Do your work there.
  • Lift up another employee or volunteer with your words.
  • Do the right thing.
  • Read your Bible.
  • As a ministry leader or employee, pray Matthew 6:13 to not be led into temptation.

It’s important to note how Haman had the opportunity to be an influence for the greater good of the Persian kingdom but chose his own ambitions versus the example of Esther. She demonstrated humility, desiring instead to do what was right before God.

“Thus prepared, each young woman went to the king: It sounds wonderful – a year of constant spa treatments. Yet the destiny of these women should also be considered: one evening with the king. If he chose them from the 400 others to be his queen, then she would be his companion (until she displeased him). As for the 399 who lost, they were banished to the harem where they stayed the wife or the concubine of the king, but rarely, if ever, saw him afterwards. And they were never free to marry another man, essentially living as a perpetual widow.” – David Guzik

Condemning Yourself

“If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” – 1 John 3:20

The context of the chapter is about loving the Lord, following Him, and to do what pleases Him. It is about persevering in following Him despite what we feel. In finding some Scripture for a livestream interview, I stumbled upon 1 John 3:20, and made a note to look deeper into it. The verse seems to tackle the inner voice which berates us for anything we may do, the self-doubt we may feel.

“Condemnation can well up inside us that has nothing to do with our standing before God. It may be the work of the enemy of our souls (who, according to Revelation 12:10 accuses the brethren), or the work of an over-active conscience. At those times, we trust in what God’s Word says about our standing, not how we feel about it.” – David Guzik

While it is about our standing before the Lord, I can’t help but think about the many conversations I have had with women. Many women express insecurity about themselves and doubt the value they can give to the world as daughters of the King. Creators also struggle with insecurity. In yesterday’s meeting, I shared that it takes courage to create because you are creating something that naturally people will like and not like. I use ‘and’ in that sentence because you get both, especially when anything is created for the online world.

Rest assured, my friend, you have a lot to offer. Dwell in the love of Jesus. The thick skin will come in time. Confront the heart with Scripture and those feelings will eventually go away. Persevere in the work He has you doing no matter how you feel.

Changing Environments

A series on the Book of Esther

Taking a deep breath, I catch the scent of the mountain roses beginning to bloom along the trail and the Juniper trees, which are dropping their berries in a layer of baby blue on the ground. After a long winter, the air is warming, the plants are blooming, and the high desert is beginning to get some color. A little moisture from a random thunderstorm does wonders, like a little encouragement to a person’s soul.

Last week, we discussed Esther in the series’ first article. This week, I want to focus on what it means to emulate Esther’s faith. It starts with Proverbs 4:23:


“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Everything you do flows from your heart, and if your heart is heavily influenced by what you consume online, what you read, and who you are friends with, is the flow a pleasant stream in the desert, refreshing others and yourself? If it isn’t, it’s time to audit what or who you follow online and what you read and take stock of the character of your friends—the ones you are close to and lean on.

As Esther is swept into a harem of women, she is isolated from everything she loves, including the influences that molded her into the woman of God she is becoming. What strikes me about Esther is how she doesn’t allow the new environment to push her away from her faith. Esther wasn’t in an environment that worshiped her God or respected women. In fact, even as she became Queen, she did not let her new power corrupt her spirit.

As a hiker, I have come across trees or bushes growing out of a rock, and I am struck by their perseverance. A tree or plant will find ways to adapt to its environment by growing at an odd angle to catch the sunlight, or its roots finding a way to a water source to keep it replenished. When you are in a new environment, it’s vital to refresh your faith through godly friends, accountability, and joy. Joy is not dependent on the circumstances in your life but is a spring within that comes from the Lord.

So, take a moment to assess your environment:

  • Online: Does who or what you follow refresh your heart? Or is it making the flow from your heart putrid?
  • Do you allow trusted individuals to hold you accountable to a better standard?
  • Who is the influenced and the influencer in your life? If you are the one being influenced, is the person a worthy influencer, drawing you closer to the Lord?

Be Kinder Than You Feel

James 1:19-20 reads:

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

My focus zeroed in on “…because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” When we respond in anger online, does that comment, private message, or post “…produce the righteousness that God desires?”

Being online gives people the feeling of invincibility. Between you and the person leaving a comment or posting a post is this false sense of anonymity. It’s often the case people will says things they wouldn’t say in person on social media, email, or text. It’s a good idea to slow down, pause, and ask yourself if your words will “…produce the righteousness God desires” in that person.

Social Media can give you the feeling of having your own personal paparazzi. It’s an incredible sense of power to have your own platform, to post whatever you want, from hating your job to the person you met at the grocery store; to the feeling of thinking you are the most important person in the universe. Serving in social media means I am far more aware of the power of my words, being in a ministry role.

The other parts of the two verses are equally important:

“…Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…”

Being glad when you’ve offended someone or taking pleasure in someone else’s hurt or misfortune is not the way and is dangerous ground to be on. Using your words as sucker punches tears down relationships, even pushes people away from the church. It says more about you than it does about the person you are angry with. So, be slow to speak and slow to allow yourself to become angry. Listen and ask questions instead, or “walk away” from the discussion.

What is most important to you? That you win an argument or that you win a person?

A colleague shared a quote from his daughter the other day, “Be kinder than you feel.” In speaking to my husband, I mentioned to him how grateful I am for this role and how I simply can’t share everything on my mind. In seeking to change how people use social media, I realized we should all have to exercise that kind of caution and feel that kind of burden. Billions of people don’t know Jesus, and those billions are online.

Inspiring a Culture Change: The Impact of Doing Your Best Work

Imagine living in a place where doing something for others was only done if that person received something in return, like compensation, a favor owed, etc. That’s a real attitude in some cultures. But I’ve also discovered this in America, too. It’s usually in the workplace. 

“They don’t pay me enough.” 

“They owe me.” 

“Somebody else can do it.” 

In my reading of the Bible, I haven’t found something that said we shouldn’t do our best work if we aren’t paid enough. 

I’ve seen many online posts about employment over the years. Rarely do posts about others going above and beyond expectations get as many likes or shares. More often than not, posts from people who hate their jobs gain more comments and likes. As a former Human Resources Assistant, I’m sure my name was dragged through social media somewhere, and I’m sure the story was interesting and inaccurate to the real situation. It needs to start with us if we want to see a culture change. 

On Sunday, Pastor Wayne talked about influencers—the kind on social media who are motivated by likes and dollars. Our motivation should be to glorify the Lord, inspire people to be different, and set the example we wish to see in others. Our motivation should be love. After all, the Bible also applies to our online life, not just our in-person life. 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. – Colossians 3:23-24 

Doing our best also reminds me of Isaiah 39:8, 

“‘The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,’ Hezekiah replied. For he thought, ‘There will be peace and security in my lifetime.’”

Hezekiah was only worried about the present time. 

“A business can’t have unproductive people yet magically still have an immensely profitable business. Great businesses are built one productive person at a time.” – The One Thing by Gary Keller 

As an employee, always keep your eye on the future. The decisions you make now can inspire a better culture over time, show non-Christians that Christians can be loving and do the right thing despite temptations to do the opposite and ensure the quality of your work.  Whether you hate your job or love your job, your work matters. 

Dressing The Inner Woman

Women put a lot of effort into their outer appearance. When I try on a new outfit in the dressing room, the mirror tricks me into believing I really do look great in it, but the mirror at home will tell a different story. The right outfit gives us confidence, but it will never dispel the voices in our heads that say we’re not good enough. That’s where we need to work on our inner woman and study Scripture.

Using the right words in our heads is as important as what we write online, in our journals, or for devotional pieces like this one. We will read them again and again, the words imprinting upon our hearts, and Facebook will remind us of posts from a year or more ago.

Proverbs 18:21 ESV says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” The previous verse talks about making a living off words. This verse speaks to the power of words. Words can help another person find the confidence to serve or totally crush someone from their full potential. Likewise, the words we hear in our heads about ourselves are not valid. When I feel anxiety or put myself down, I must confront those words. Jesus loves us so much as women, and women were the first witnesses of the empty tomb.

We are creatures that crave deep connections. It’s no wonder that most women are active on social media. Our words matter to ourselves and others, whether in person, online, or in private conversation. That’s why it’s so important to pay closer attention to how we dress the inner woman. Go ahead, fix your hair, perfect your make-up, and wear an outfit that exudes confidence to people around you, but don’t forget your heart.

 Start the day reading Scripture and write something positive on your social media. Let this imprint your heart so it’s more than just surface confidence that radiates from you, but the light of our Lord instead.

Photographer

We watched “Photographer” on Disney+/NatGeo. This series has riveted me (for the most part). 

Muhammed Muheisen was one of the premiered photographers. He was an AP photographer during the Iraq war and other violent situations. He wanted to photograph the good in life, but AP needed him to serve up a series of newsworthy images. Muhammed’s images won awards. Like the soldiers he was documenting, Muhammed began to feel the wear and tear of war. He spent a lot of time in the local towns and villages when he wasn’t in the middle of a firefight and captured images of life in those villages. 

The more time Muhammed spent with refugee children, the more he wanted to capture their plight and do something about it. One day, he quit the AP after the violent death of his photographer friend in Kabul, Afghanistan, and he started using his skills to help refugee children. You can view his images on Everyday Refugees. He recognized the power of photography in how it tells stories and often says more than words can express. 

I learn from watching these shows. I often ask myself, “How can I improve my writing, photography, and graphic design?” How can I move people to do something like Muhammed? How can I tell better stories? How can I show emotion better through my photography? 

Self-Control On Social Media

“A soft answer [online] turns away wrath, but a harsh word [in reply to someone online] stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1, emphasis mine. Read James 3:3-6, too.

Tossing those words out there online that you feel in the moment without thought has consequences. In any situation, self-control is the one thing we have a choice in, but online it’s easy to just put words out there in the name of ministry, truth, or whatever we are using to justify our actions. Even as I write this, I know I have regrets in some of the words I once used online.

Grace to those who put their foot in their mouths and say the wrong thing. May we also learn forgiveness to those who hurt us deeply with words. The tongue is so hard to control, but used wisely can open doors or heal an injury.

📷 Prescott, AZ

Tell Better Stories

I like playing sports, but I don’t like watching games. Hence, each baseball game saw me reading a book in the stadium, and usually something so thick and outrageous that I would peek up at the jumbotron to see if the announcers noticed (because the Diamondbacks used to pan the camera to the audience to find something funny and unusual). I do like sports documentaries, though, and I find encouragement and lessons one can learn in them. 

Untold is a sports documentary series on Netflix. The first three I watched of the series encouraged me. Untold: The Race of The Century is about the Australian team’s determination to beat America in the America’s Cup race. The Australian team beat America by thinking outside the box. A man with no higher than a 12th-grade education redesigned their Sailing hydrofoil (completely within the rules). The team strategically kept the Sailing hydrofoil a secret until after the race was over. The New York Yacht Club elite would have dismissed this man, but the Australian team trusted each other and worked together. The man who made the Sailing hydrofoil didn’t let his lack of education fuel his insecurity, and keep him from helping his country. 

My current favorite, and one saved to my watchlist, is The Last Dance. This features Michael Jordan and the Bulls basketball team. It’s worth rewatching sometimes, and last night, the episode shared through interviews and commentary how Phil Jackson, the new coach, taught Michael Jordan to trust his team. The prior coach always put the ball into Michael Jordan’s hands. Phil Jackson wanted a more creative approach and taught Michael Jordan that his team was there to help. In one game, Michael was told to pass the ball to Paxson. Paxson made basket after basket. The opposing team kept trying to block Michael and didn’t expect him to pass the ball to Paxson. Through this, Michael learned teamwork. He put aside his own agenda for the good of the game. Michael is even known for mentoring others along the way, for example, Kobe Bryant. 

Most of the sports documentaries embrace reprehensible actions and scandals because that’s what makes ratings and money. Few good documentaries exist to show a story of overcoming something and making morally or biblically right, but difficult choices, or failing and making things right.

We need to tell better stories. The kind of stories that change lives and aren’t echo chambers. Getting comfortable is the enemy of creativity. An environment that lacks challenge means the creative can’t grow. Like in sports, the athlete has to train and listen to their coaches. The pain is momentary, but persevering through it means the results will be eternal. 

God-Sized Dreams

“Mordecai’s trust was in the faithfulness of God, not in the faithfulness of Esther. He knows that God will not let His people down, even if individuals let God down.” – Study Guide on Esther 4

What if Esther hadn’t listened to Mordicai to step into her calling to save the Jewish people? Mordecai trusted God to have a plan B. The courage of Esther is what we all need when we step into God’s role in our lives. Granted, most of us aren’t facing death in the King’s court for coming unsummoned into his presence, and we aren’t physically saving a Jewish people from annihilation. 

What we face, though, is…

  • What if we fail? 
  • What will people think of us or our dreams? 
  • The negative voices in our heads or insecurity. 
  • Family separation or division. 
  • Being judged. 

Like I said at The Outpour at Loving Life, we want to be liked as Christians. Following Jesus means we won’t always be liked. That’s never more apparent than when you serve on social media. As I told one Georgia church member, “Don’t let the negativity discourage you. Not everyone will like what you post. That’s okay.” 

God was very patient with me, teaching me to trust Him in small steps along the way, to risk more, and to stand when my instinct was to run. I failed enough in my life that, upon surrendering to Jesus, I wanted His way because my way wasn’t working and definitely wasn’t as satisfying as His way. Risk takes on a new meaning when you align with God’s will. In taking that first step, you are acknowledging complete trust that He is all-powerful and bigger than what is in the way.

Embrace those God-sized dreams but be patient. His timing isn’t always our timing. Trust Him to show up. 

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