The "Righteous" Blame Game

I hear the comments.

I read the comments.

...the comments of people on the "filtered" lives of others and how it's not real.

...the comments of people on the “filtered” photos of others and how it’s not real.

Well, in a sense, it's not real in TOTALITY and there may be a bigger story behind it, but why is there such a struggle to simply be happy for someone? Why do we have to try to fill in why it’s actually “not THAT good” and “it’s not THAT real”? I just figure it’s a given that pictures will never tell a whole story, and it’s ridiculous for a person to have to explain every detail behind it so others can now have a complete, whole, perspective of that photo and thus accept it.

Let’s get real.

It’s not even about a photo.

It’s about our hearts.

It’s about our feelings.

It’s about our pride.

It’s not even about them…

...it’s about US.

EEK!

In order to feel at peace about ourselves, our looks, our progress, etc., for some reason we feel the need to proclaim, “that isn’t real”.

I think we put too much finality on our own "observations" as though we actually need to reach a conclusion. I mean, do we really...need to?

Is our faulty conclusion of a person and the portrayal of their life going to change how we’re supposed to love them?

Is our faulty conclusion of a person going to change how we’re supposed to bless them?

Is our faulty conclusion going to change how we’re supposed to raise them up and affirm them in what they are doing well?

Is our faulty conclusion going to change how we are meant to live as an impact the way God intended?  

No.

We shouldn’t cut others out of our lives for those reasons;  instead we need to work through and grow through what makes us feel threatened. Otherwise, we are allowing jealousy, comparison, and misguided assumptions to stump our heart and godly actions we are meant to walk in.

On the flipside of the flipside, even if you know that it’s a “you problem” rather than a “them problem” and admit it, yet cut people out in the name of "boundaries," you are still allowing jealousy, comparison, insecurities, and pride to win over.  

Don’t do it!!

Somehow, because it’s social media, we reason that it’s okay to “unfollow” and “unfriend” someone because it made us feel jealous and insecure. That takes seed in your heart and soul, gets watered, and eventually grows because you’re not truly dealing it. You will eventually, in small and big ways, cut out people and hold back from blessing others. Why? Because you are practicing cutting others out based on how you felt whether you admitted it or not.

Take social media away -- eventually, around people you will have those same feelings whether you like it or not -- Then, what are you left with?

What IS real?

What IS real, is that we are all human and have struggles no matter how good a person looks...no matter how good their filtered & unfiltered photos look...no matter how good their belongings look...no matter how good their circumstances look…

What IS real, is we glamorize these feelings to be "relatable" and "acceptable" because of its appeal to society, and then call these walls "boundaries". That's not a boundary, that's self-imprisonment and shunning others.

What IS real, is that we have a God who cares for us SO much that we don’t have to worry about how much we allow ourselves to care for others.

What IS real, is carrying on with life and raising others up, rather than pushing others away and calling it worthy -- it’s living THROUGH it.

What IS real, is that we have feelings we need to deal with, and that we are wrong when we cut other people out over our own issues, rather than feel (or try to feel) happy for them, or even go and buy something nice and actually bless them with the most encouraging words EVER.

What IS real, is that we spew thankfulness without being happy for others, when in reality, the two go hand-in-hand.

What IS real, is that we should get to know the people behind the photo better and be the love of God in their lives, rather than pick it apart.