By Scott Hilgendorff / Cowboys of the Cross
PART 3 OF 3
Proverbs 12:22 The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
We may not be intentionally lying but often what we are doing is willingly spreading false information because it supports a strong view and opinion we have. It doesn’t matter to us if the information is correct, we believe it is because it supports what we already think.
God wants us to be trustworthy.
In fact, we need to be trustworthy if we’re going to be able to tell people about Jesus and having any hope of them believing us.
The most important truth we can share is that of who Jesus is and what it means to have a saving faith in him.
1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
How we behave should line up with what we believe in terms of our faith. That needs to come from a solid understanding of what the Bible teaches and unfortunately, many of us these days know more details about false stories that circulate or false gospels (beliefs that sound Biblical but aren’t).
Here’s just a little bit to help you navigate what is real, particularly on social media. Most of this only takes seconds or minutes before
1.First, look to the original source. If it’s something that sounds Christian, look up the preacher or teacher or church it came from and see if their beliefs are rooted in the gospel and right teaching of scripture. That’s why you HAVE to know more of what’s in the Bible yourself to help you catch these things or ask someone you trust to verify it for you.
If it’s from the realm of politics, news and social issues, look at the original sources. Take the time to follow the post back to where it came from. If you can’t find a source, chances are it’s not true at all or at best, is misleading.
Clicks and views equal payments for some people while others just like to cause strife and yes, foreign governments actually have people creating fake content from both political views to cause fighting and disruption because the more divided we are, the more unstable the country is and the harder it is for any president to lead the people.
- Look at the original poster or page if it’s a current issue. Is it new? That’s a good warning sign it was made just to make trouble or generate clicks.
2. Look to see if it is satire. Satire is a form of humor that pokes fun at both liberal and conservative beliefs by exaggerating the truth. But often, if you go to the website or original social media page the content came from, there will be something on the page or the “about us” that will tell you it’s satire.
3. Look for dates on articles. Old articles often recirculate out of context and mislead about what is presently happening.
4. Look for fake profiles. Many people have security settings set that you can’t see much but often a fake profile has very little content or friends from foreign countries despite being the name of someone you know or being made to look like an American profile. Fake profiles often only have a name and profile photo showing. If they are sharing the content, it’s likely not real.
5 Pray. Be prayerful asking God to help you discern the truth. If you don’t know something is true, seek godly counsel from other believers and if it lines up with scripture, that can help us discern. We pray for wisdom and understanding and pray for God’s direction.
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