The Beauty Of An Unseen Life - The Three-Day Social Media Reset

“For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.” (John 12:43, NLT)

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1, NLT)

There are no secrets on social media. It seems like everyone is living out loud, and if you don’t live in a way that captivates the world’s attention, you aren’t considered good enough. But as He always does, God invites us into a better, though unpopular, way of life.

Our culture’s ambition is to live loudly—to generate as much attention and accumulate as much wealth and fame as possible. It teaches us that to be successful, we need more followers, a blue verified check next to our name, and a bigger platform.

This tempts us to live for human approval at the expense of our souls. Jesus warns us against this way of life, saying, “What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Living for likes, follows, and human approval can bring you all the power, fame, wealth, and pleasure the world has to offer, but it can come at the expense of your peace and joy.

How would you live your life if no one was watching and you had nothing to show for it on social media? With no likes to look for or followers to gain, how would you exhaust your only tour around this planet? How would you spend the hidden moments of your life? How would you like to feel when you wake up, and what would your ideal day look like? Who are the people and what are the things that bring you joy? What do you want your legacy to be?

There is beauty and power in a private life—a life that is secret and unseen by the rest of the world but known and seen by God and the people you love the most. There are holy and sacred moments only you, God, and the people you love most should see.

Whether or not we have a big platform or personality, we are invited to a deep, spiritually quiet, and faithful life. God’s love, not the attention of others, will give us the fullness of joy we crave, the soul-deep rest that comes simply from being a child of God.

When we fall for the trappings of this world and live for human approval, we experience strife and emptiness. God wants to give us rest for our souls, away from the crowds and in His life-giving presence. What would you choose if you had to pick between being seen by the world or being known by God? Do you want fame or a soul at rest? Do you want to chase human approval or find joy in God’s unconditional love? What kind of life do you want to live, and who do you want to become?

Reflect: How can you avoid living for human approval and live in a way that honors God, even if it doesn’t get much attention on social media or from other people?

Pray: God, help me to live a faithful life, thoughtfully stewarding everything You’ve given me. Empower me to become the person You want me to be even when no one is watching. Thank You for loving and knowing and seeing me. Thank You that my value comes from You alone.