YTTC Students—UK

Editor's note: The theme of the UK Youth Theological Training Course (YTTC) 2024 was "Do the Works of Light." As part of the Literary Ministry (LM) sessions during this event, the Year 1 students reflected on the theme in the context of their online lives, their Christian identity, and how they engage with social media.

Social media has become an integral part of how we work, play, study, socialize, and interact with our communities. As tech companies innovate and expand into every part of our lives, these apps offer us convenience and seamless methods of connection, consumption, and even commerce.

So, if social media is both parallel and extension of the physical world, it also becomes a battlefield for darkness and light, an arena in which we must remain vigilant against the wiles of Satan (1 Pet 5:8). How should we interact with this world, and how much do we allow it to influence us?

As Christians, how we curate our online spaces and present ourselves therein are worthy considerations. The Bible exhorts us to be content and not to covet, yet our social media feeds serve up endless, shiny images to stimulate our desires and aspirations. We are instructed to preach, but instead, we become trapped in the endless churn of memes, misinformation, and mindless scrolling. We are called to be godly and to shine the light, yet the algorithm often promotes and popularizes the worst of human nature.

The Year 1 students, aged between seventeen and nineteen years old at the time, were at a stage of their lives where they were not only discovering their identities but also developing their independent faith. It was eye-opening, therefore, for them to reflect on the questions: "How can I shine as a Christian and do the works of light on social media after YTTC? What changes do I need to make?" Here, we present some insightful excerpts written by the students.

 

SPENDING OUR TIME WISELY

CL—Canada

After reflecting on my social media presence and usage, I plan to shine God's light and glorify His name more in my life and online.

The more time I spend on my device, the less time I have for other important tasks, such as building my relationship with God.

Thank God, I have a regular spiritual cultivation habit of daily prayer and Bible reading—I enjoy reading and reflecting on a chapter before going to bed. However, in recent years, social media and entertainment have occupied much of my time, leaving less space for God's word to dwell in my heart and mind. After hours of media consumption, I am left unsatisfied, and God's word feels less nourishing.

         All things are full of labor;
Man cannot express it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor the ear filled with hearing. (Eccl 1:8)

From this verse, we understand that we cannot find true satisfaction in the world. We could achieve all things and enjoy all things, but our eyes and ears would still not be satisfied. However, we can find true satisfaction in Jesus, because He is the bread of life.

         For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness. (Ps 107:9)

         And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (Jn 6:35)

After the YTTC, I am determined to reduce my screen time to truly dedicate time for God every day and to nourish myself with God's word. By doing so, God's light may shine from me to let others know that God's word truly satisfies.

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

EK—UK

To be honest, I do not reveal my Christian identity on social media for fear of rejection and isolation from my friends outside of church. However, we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God's own special people (1 Pet 2:9). I should emphasize my difference as a Christian, as many others do on social media—to stand out and spread the gospel, and use social media as a weapon against heresy. If I minimize the energy I waste on social media for my own pleasure and utilize it instead for the salvation of others, then my precious time can be used effectively for God.

The real change that needs to happen is with my attitude. I need to reflect on the time I spend on social media and how it affects me—how its influence may cause my beliefs to drift ever so slightly until I begin to compromise in my faith. I am unable to stand firm against the constant flood of media. Ultimately, I am not able to do this by myself—do I really have the strength? It is so easy to pick up my phone and start scrolling. I need God; I need to pray for the strength to step away and rely on the Holy Spirit to give me the wisdom to understand that the things in this world are temporary. On social media, we see trends emerge and fade, gradually coming and going out of the spotlight. But God's word is different: it is eternal and irreplaceable.

         "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Mt 6:19–20)

The things of this earth do not last, and we can never truly rely on the temporary. We need to be certain in the truth and in the gospel.

GUARDING OUR HEARTS AND MENTAL HEALTH

Connie Teng—Taipei, Taiwan

Sometimes I feel that using social media lowers my self-esteem. The more time I spend on it, the more I lose myself. Social media was meant to be a place where everyone could freely share their lives with friends; instead, people only show their best selves, turning it into a toxic space for constant comparison. When I start comparing myself to others and using their success as a means to criticize myself, I temporarily close my account to take a break. However, if I never truly adjust my self-perception and desire to live as others do on social media, I will never escape the vicious circle.

During an LM session, we reflected on our feelings about others posting various types of content, such as travel, food, and personal testimony. I was surprised to discover that whenever I saw picturesque images of others traveling or enjoying good food, my genuine reaction was envy, or the feeling that they were showing off. I realized that when I post the highlights of my life, others might feel the same way. A verse came to mind:

         All things are lawful, for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. (1 Cor 10:23)

While there are no issues with sharing our daily lives with others, have we ever considered if our posts are edifying or if they could trigger negative emotions in others? As Christians, we should live a life to glorify God. However, social media can be addictive and filled with temptations.

         For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. (1 Jn 2:16)

         Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life. (Prov 4:23)

         All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (1 Cor 6:12b)

Although social media is not inherently negative for Christians, we must continually adjust our mindset to ensure we are using it effectively to preach and encourage others. And most importantly, remember to "walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful for every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col 1:10). Whatever we do, we should aim to please God instead of people.

PREACHING ONLINE

Isabella Shek—Sunderland, UK

As a Christian, I can do the works of light on social media—especially on Instagram, which I use daily—by reposting stories or posts from True Jesus Church (TJC) accounts to spread the gospel. Doing this helps spread awareness to my followers, who may not know that I am a Christian or who do not know God. Personally, this is a challenging step as I feel hesitant to post about my faith. I care a lot about how I am perceived. But I am willing to make this change if it will bring more people to God. I should preach whenever possible and do the will of God, without concerning myself with others' opinions.

After attending the YTTC, I feel more equipped with knowledge to preach both online and in person, especially as we have been learning the basic doctrines—the foundation of our belief that cannot be altered. We must stand out, shining God's light to show that we are God's children:

         [T]hat you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. (Phil 2:15)

Update: Thank God, a year has now passed since YTTC 2024. Throughout the past year, I have learned to come out of my shell and shine as a Christian on social media. Since I started sharing my faith on Instagram and posting content from TJC accounts, my friends outside of church have viewed, acknowledged, and liked my faith-related posts. I have also shared e-invitations for spiritual convocations happening at my local church. This subtle form of preaching sheds light on the church and the truth for those who may not know God or have different beliefs. Thank God that I was able to carry out this resolution!

CHRISTIAN IDENTITY

Harvey Shek—Newcastle, UK

         "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Mt 5:16)

To shine the light is to show my true Christian identity, whether on social media or in real life. In 1 Jn 5:19, it mentions that the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one, but we belong to God. Since God is light, we should be a shining light in this dark world.

The world of social media is often shrouded in darkness. To ensure that we shine the light for God, we must refrain from watching ungodly materials that could lead us to normalize sinful thoughts and ideas in our daily lives. Social media is very accessible and, if not controlled, can be addictive. There are many dark things on the web, but each individual makes their own choices about what to engage with.

We may also be promoting ungodly things if we like or comment on a video with violence or foul language. When we comment on a video or post, we should do so in a manner that edifies people and does not stir up conflict.

We need to make sure that the things we post are godly—this could mean sharing our faith, posting testimonies, or inviting people to church events. One change I can make is to post Bible verses, as I find reading the Bible to be edifying and joyful. This is a great way to introduce people to the church, offering them the opportunity to visit one day.

BE A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Prisca Yue—Newcastle, UK

         "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Mt 5:16)

As Christians, we are constantly reminded that we have the duty to shine the light for God, and we often associate this teaching with how we act and behave in the real world. However, with the increasing popularity of social media, it is vital to ensure that our online presence aligns with our Christian identity.

We often think we have done our part as Christians by simply refraining from posting anything ungodly on social media. While it is essential to be mindful of the content we share, including our language, presentation, and activities, we often overlook another crucial aspect of our online presence. Social media is accessible to all, meaning that those who follow us can see the media we interact with online. A post that we think we are liking or commenting on in secret can be seen by all our followers. "God will bring every work into judgement, including every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Eccl 12:14). Therefore, we must be mindful of the posts we engage with, lest our actions become a stumbling block to our brothers and sisters (Rom 14:13). A question that we can use for reflection is: am I tainting the light of God with the darkness of my actions?

Another change I can make is to be more active in terms of posting on social media. Through the LM session, I learned about the power of social media and how I can utilize it to share my faith with my non-believing friends. I can start by sharing the Sabbath encouragements from my local church and inviting my friends and family to the online and in-person evangelistic services hosted by True Jesus Church. Furthermore, I can reach out to the lost sheep and do the works of God by being their guiding light back to the true church.

We can easily avoid the troubles of being on social media by simply withdrawing from the online world completely, but is that the correct attitude? Matthew 5:14 tells us that we are the light of the world, and a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Since we have been given the ability to engage with the world through social media, why not take up this wonderful opportunity to shine the light for God in a different setting?

ACTIVELY SHINE

Seth Ng—Newcastle, UK

         "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house." (Mt 5:15)

We live in a dark world, surrounded by sin at any given moment. This is even more true on social media. Regardless of the platform or its intended purpose, the algorithm will eventually surface some content that is sinful or harmful on our feeds. Similarly, our group chats with friends can sometimes take dark paths, leading to the sharing and discussion of inappropriate content. As the above verse says, light is not supposed to be set under a basket—it should be set high up on a lampstand to give light to all in the house.

The light is to cut through the darkness, to shine a path through the seemingly never-ending sin of the world. We need to act as beacons of light to guide those who are in the dark. Jesus states:

         "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Mt 5:16)

This is no less true in our online social media presence than in our physical work of preaching.

We may argue: "As long as I don't post negative things, I can still shine the light." However, shining the light is an active task that requires our time and effort; people cannot see our works of light or glorify God if we have no works to show for it.

So, what can I do?

I mainly use my social media account for secular activities, such as events I take part in or football scores. While there may be nothing wrong with this, my social media presence neither indicates that I am a Christian nor does it shine the light of God's word; I need to improve.

Update: Thank God, since I wrote this reflection last year, I have started to shine the light from my social media, but not as much as I would like. I have included a link to the TJC website in my bio, but I have been sharing evangelistic event invitations sparingly. This is something I can continue to improve going forward. However, examining my social media use prompted another realization: just as my conduct reflects my inner thoughts, what I post will mirror my social media feed. This encouraged me to go through my social media and effectively "clean" it out, so I can also keep my heart clean as I use my phone.