While I am not on socials much, I still see. I still hear how we speak to each other. How we post things. How we share — whether a reposted graphic, personal thoughts, or moments. Which words we use. What we “put” out into the world.
What if.
What if we didn’t repost that one graphic — the one that is negatively slanted? Regardless of which political aisle you’re on — what if it simply wasn’t reposted?
What if we didn’t try to prove a point or prove “our side”? Truthfully, what ground has ever been gained by trying to prove rather than improve? Those are two very different approaches — especially if you are truly trying to improve, not prove.
What if we didn’t try to win? Whatever it is — what if we didn’t try to win the argument, the right view, the image that our lives are perfect and all put together?
What if we didn’t share negatively, but instead each chose not to say it? Not to put more disagreements, more bitterness, more division into the world?
What if, one by one, we simply chose not to say whatever it is we feel we must?
What if we recognized that our words — each and every one — either give life or death to someone or something? There’s no neutral territory here. No real middle ground in this life.
What if when someone speaks ill or hate about “our side,” we didn’t react?
What if we simply covered the offense in grace and love, understanding that we have all fallen short and none of us are perfect?
What if we forgave when someone didn’t ask for forgiveness?
What if we just closed our mouths and stopped typing or sharing the things in this world that we all talk about being wrong — yet we continue the problem by feeding it ourselves?
As I see what’s in the world — both good and bad — I have a choice, as each of us do. What am I putting out into this world? Am I helping it or hurting it? Am I helping someone or hurting someone? Am I trying to prove “my point” or genuinely trying to improve the situation?
Is my heart where it needs to be? That’s really the question I have to ask in the mirror. What is the health of my heart? The words and actions I choose every day are truly a reflection of it — either good or bad. And if I say I love the Lord, then there is a standard higher than me — higher than what I believe or what I think.
What if we who profess that we love the Lord and Jesus actually paused and stopped contributing to the problem in this world?
I’m not talking about excusing evil or never using our voice — but so much of what we do isn’t that. It’s proving, not improving. It’s believing our own voice is more important than someone else’s.
That our opinion is right, and therefore we need to proclaim it. That what we see about something or a situation is true — with no humility and no awareness that we are human and we don’t know everything.
What we see in media — TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, TV — name the source — is not the full story. Because we were not there, it is impossible for us to truly know what did or did not happen. We are only seeing what someone else shared — someone who may or may not have been there. We are seeing bits and pieces.
What if…
What if we chose humility?
What if we truly chose love — not just in words, but in deeds? Anyone can say they love, but it’s by their actions that their words are proven or not.
I am only responsible for my actions, my thoughts, my words. That is really all I have control over in this life — nothing else. I can’t control someone else or how they treat me. I can control my reaction or my response. And I can control whether I choose to engage at all.
What if this started with me — and only me?
What if I changed how I interacted with this world?
No one else.
Let it begin with me.