by Savannah Cottrell
As a college student, I was introduced to the vast and marvelous world that is Pinterest.com. As a treasure trove of ideas waiting to be discovered, Pinterest is amazing for discovering inspiration for everything from crafts to furniture assembly. There is also a massive plethora of images with funny captions, beauty tutorials, and the like … you name it, Pinterest likely has it, and a few keystrokes can take you there. Pinterest has been a great resource for inspiration and creativity that keeps on growing with every click of the “Pin It” button.
The idea behind Pinterest is that you are able to create your own virtual bulletin boards filled with various links, or “pins” that you can collect and save.
Based on my experiences with Pinterest, here are some insights that I have discovered in my venturing on the site, and how faith can either influence or be affected by it.
1. There is a surprising amount of Biblical content that you can share at the click of a mouse. I have seen many of my friends create their own Bible-themed pinboards, on which they share pictures of elaborately-typed Bible verses, tips to train children in the church, and Scripture guides to use in Bible studies. I love how easy it is to share these insights with others, especially given the fact that we are often so connected to our computers when we communicate. Also, whenever I’ve had a bad day, I’ve looked at my own Bible board and read some of the encouraging quotes and verses that I have pinned. This brings to mind Philippians 4:8 –“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— think about such things.” Surrounding yourself with good things, even if it’s on the Internet, can be a tremendous help in your spiritual walk.
2. No matter how fun it can be to dream and plan, God has the final say in the big things in our lives. Pinterest gives users the resources to prepare for huge milestones in their lives, such as weddings, future homes, and even having children far, far in advance. While this can be exciting, and even helpful for upcoming milestones like graduation from college, it can almost give the user too much control in “planning” their future, and that in and of itself can be stressful. The stress that comes from this is entirely unnecessary because of God’s timing, and I am so thankful for that. Ecclesiastes 3: 3-10 tells us that there is a time for absolutely everything, and I am so thankful that I have God’s assurance—and not just pins on a computer screen—to know that this is true.
3. God created us in His image, and He made us exactly as we are supposed to be. A large portion of Pinterest is dedicated to physical wellness. Because of this, Pinterest is full of images of those who’ve achieved their goals of weight loss and want to share their methods of doing so with the entire world. Some of the tips given on Pinterest are great for maintaining personal health. There are problems with this, though. I remember seeing one pin that simply had the words, “Pizza or a flat stomach?” or something similar written across a photo. Some people laughed the pin off in comments, but pictures like this with subtle ultimatums can be a stumbling block for those struggling with their own body image. The last thing that any of us need to do is to keep repeating these statements to ourselves and others through repins. Instead, we need to reassure ourselves and our friends that our bodies are God’s creation and are here not just for optimal physical health, but for a greater purpose. God tells us in Psalm 139:14 that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Not only that, but “[His] works are wonderful.” Because of this, we don’t have to worry about the world’s expectations for our bodies. We just need to focus on serving the Lord and doing so to the best that we are able.
Social media has a lot of power, even in the form of something as inconsequential as a virtual bulletin board. However, there is power in all media for us to be a shining light to others. So, no matter what social media outlet you choose, make sure that what you are posting is something you would want to potentially influence others with every click of the mouse.
This article originally appeared in the April 2014 issue of Think Magazine. Print or download this article here.
