What Digital Missionaries Can Do in Uncertain Times
Life is uncertain. Not just in the our personal lives but in the entire world. Over the past few months we’ve seen political unrest, violence, protests, looting and one of the worst pandemics in the history of the world. That is a lot to happen at any point of time, especially all at once.
When so much uncertainty is happening as it is, it puts people on edge. And, when people are on edge, tensions are high and more often than not, intense arguments tend to break out, especially on social media.
The good thing with this much unrest and uncertainty is that there are opportunities. Opportunities to share about the love of Christ. That’s the great thing about a digital missionary. Because of technology today, we can help minister to people using online tools.
So what can a digital missionary do? How can a digital missionary respond during uncertain times? Here are 3 things:
Pray for Opportunities. To best minister to people around you or to those who are dealing with stress, fear, anxiety or other problems we have to pray. We have to ask God for the opportunities to present themselves to us that he wants us to engage and interact with. As we pray, especially before we get on social media, the great thing is that we become more aware of God’s movement and see the opportunities we can act on.
Look for what’s trending and what people are talking about. Sometimes it is obvious what the unrest and uncertainty is. But sometimes it isn’t as obvious. That is why you have to look on the social sites and discover what is trending and what people are talking about. Twitter is great at this with their “Trending Section”. Look up what is trending there and see what people are discussing. Assuming you have prayed before you got on the social site of choice, jump in and engage with others in a loving and Christ like way. Which leads to the last tip below.
Listen and Support with the Love of Christ. This is KEY. Social media can be loud and out of control. There can be so many people yelling at each other and all the while there are few people who are actually listening. What social media doesn’t need right now is more people yelling at each other. They need to experience the love of Christ. So take time to listen to others and then offer hope and encouragement that only Christ can offer them.
The world is experiencing something unlike any other time in history. Not just one major issue has come up recently, but multiple life altering moments have happened in a short amount of time. It has caused such turmoil and uncertainty. However, with that uncertainty comes opportunities. Opportunities to share about the love of Christ to others online. As a Digital Missionary you now have opportunities to minister and help people process all that is happening in godly ways. Simply pray for opportunities, look at what people are talking about and what’s trending and then listen and support with the love of Christ. People need hope now. They need encouragement. Rise above the frivolous chatter and shine the light on Christ so that more people can come and experience Him, maybe for the first time.
What do you think? How have you seen ministry opportunities arise in these uncertain times? Share your thoughts or experiences below or on social media using #ymsidekick when you share.
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