We are a people “distracted from distraction by distraction.” T.S. Eliot’s words penned in 1935 aptly describe our world of smartphones and social media. The experts have coined terms like “Internet Addiction Disorder” and “Facebook envy” to describe the detrimental effects of our internet gluttony. New research suggests that social media is making us “more depressed and anxious, prone to obsessive-compulsive and attention-deficit disorders, even outright psychotic.”
Other research shows that it’s not necessarily the medium itself, but “the more you use Facebook, the more you’re likely to start slipping into the category of encouraging Facebook envy,” and this in turn leads to depression.
In other words, social media is not the problem; comparison is. Social media is like a megaphone for envy and comparison because real life can’t measure up to the filtered pictures on Instagram or the humblebrags that saturate Twitter feeds.
But there is hope for the Christian; cyber envy loses its potency when we remember that we already have acceptance, purpose and worth in Christ.
The Problem with Comparison
Titus 2:11 says that God’s grace is teaching us to “renounce ungodliness and worldly passions,” and comparison may be one of the most underestimated “worldly passions”. Unlike dramatic sins like adultery and revenge, comparison flies under the radar and wields more power in our life than we realize.
C.S. Lewis wrote, “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.” In other words, we don’t just want things, we want more than others have–whether it be talent, money, power, opportunity or good looks–and conversely, we feel shame and sadness when others excel us.
Social media gives us a chance to create a persona untouched by the reality of mess and mediocrity. We can choose the best pictures, the wittiest updates and claim “friendship” with mere acquaintances. But when others excel us, all pleasure seeps out and we are left feeling blue and antsy.
We didn’t know our child was “behind” until we saw that someone else’s child could write her ABC’s at 18 months. We felt fine about our body until we came across that picture of toned biceps. Our life felt full until we saw the extraordinary adventures our friend was having. In other words, Facebook envy is at root a sin issue. Facebook may turn a spark of envy into a flame, but without comparison there would be no oxygen to feed it.
Living comparison-free may seem like a lofty goal on this side of heaven, but Christians have real hope to stand on.
The Filter of Christ’s Righteousness
Throughout history people have been judging each other based on outward appearances. The great prophet Samuel was no exception. When God sent him to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as the new king of Israel, his eye was immediately drawn to someone who looked like a king. But God told him, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature … For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:6-7).
Comparison loses its momentum when we remember that God’s opinion matters most. The LORD does not view us through our Instagram filter to assess whether our appearance is worthy; He looks at our heart.
A heart transformed by grace has no need to fear judgement (1 Jn. 4:8). If we put our trust in Jesus for salvation, God sees us through the filter of Christ’s perfection. Isaiah says it this way, “He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness” (Is. 61:10).
Pastor Timothy Keller wrote in his book, The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness, “True gospel-humility means I stop connecting every experience, every conversation, with myself. In fact, I stop thinking about myself.” Social media is exhausting for many of us because we connect every post, pin and tweet with ourselves. Our subconscious mind filters each new item through the grid of, “How do I measure up?” and “What does this say about me?”.
The gospel is indeed good news for comparison junkies. In Christ we find freedom from the treadmill of self-justification. There is no need. In fact, it’s presumptuous. We’ve already been justified in Christ (Rom. 5:1). Because the verdict is in, we no longer need validation in the form of likes and retweets.
As we assess our own role in the cyber world, we shouldn’t assume that we are immune to comparison. While some of us may benefit from a social media hiatus or “unfollowing” those who cause us to stumble, all of us would benefit from a precursory reminder of who we are in Christ. Only then will we be free to tweet, pin and comment from a place of thankfulness and love.
