Give Yourself Pause

“To share, or not to share: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To like: to not like…”

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This featured image captures the story of a generation: an obsession with sharing information and, sadly, evaluating its worth based on the response of public opinion.

Millennails, Gen-Xers, Boomers – we all do it.

Of course, this is only one side of the coin because the 21st Century’s propensity towards sharing digital data is also a significant strength!

Weakness in Strength

Think – have you heard the philosophy that your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness?

Think of the legendary Achilles and his glorious strength tempered by the weakness of his heel. Recall Samson the Judge of Israel who literally ripped a roaring lion to shreds with his bare hands but whose weakness in Delilah’s lap is beyond stupid. Remember King David, Israel’s beloved Singer of Songs, whose soaring heart strength is commended before God more highly than any other human being in history and yet was as fragile as a strip of tissue paper in his key moment of decision.

Isn’t there a compelling basis to consider our greatest strengths (skills, instincts, giftings, leanings, trends) as also being like a google map vector when it comes to the location of our weakness?

Suffering Slings and Arrows

Taking Hamlet at his word, (or, rather, Shakespeare), is it better to pursue the fame of popularity and the undulating praise and rejection of man, or, instead, to ignaminiously, violently, oppose the way of the world and, frankly, not give a rip?

To go rogue?

This is a chuffing good question.

Give Yourself Pause

Do you ever think about shutting down from the frenetic world of social media? I don’t mean stopping using your smartphone or your Instagram account; but have you ever thought about reconfiguring your heart to what goes on in the world of social media?

How many times have friends you know boldly proclaimed that ‘they’ve had it with Facebook…see you after the war…” – that type of thing? How many times has a private social media fast been announced from the roof tops?

No – I’m talking about intentionally pausing on the treadmill of sharing and liking, being shared and being liked, or not, and, instead, taking a stroll along the balmy promednade of your freedom in Christ:

What You Like – Barney the Corgi Dog

I fully understand that it’s easy to become infatuated with the ways of the world and to allow public opinion to shape what you like yourself and what you esteem as likeable or, even, lovely.

But you are you.

You will like things that no one else likes; you will love things that no one else loves.

For example, I make a point of putting photographs on Instagram based on what I like not on how popular I think they might be. Check my account out. There are some photos on here that I know won’t be popualr but, for various reasons, I love them. So I share from my personal heart response and invite others to look and participate. But the key is not whether others agree with me, it’s that I love the pictures and have been open to allow others the chance to love them with me – like Barney the Corgi Dog: