Some of you may have noticed that I don't have a personal Facebook page.  I post using a community page.  As a result, I can't have any Facebook friends, and I can't view anyone else's posts.  It's not that I think Facebook is bad or that I am not interested in keeping up with my family, friends and acquaintances.  It's just that it's better for me this way.  I broke up with Facebook about five years ago after a short but toxic relationship.

It started out innocently.  I logged on each morning to peruse through dozens of posts about your children's accomplishments, your new favorite recipes, and your picture perfect snapshots.  I began to wonder how you always got your young daughter to keep the bow in her hair, how no matter how your head was tilted I never saw a double chin, and how you had time to make that delicious dinner between dancing and baseball carpool. 

It wasn't long before Facebook and I spent all our time together comparing myself to you.  I couldn't log on without feeling like your life was more exciting, your husband was more loving and your children were more popular.  I hated the feeling of inadequacy that Facebook brought out in me, but I kept coming back for more.

One day I logged on to find that someone I love was the target of one of those ugly posts that are vague enough to seem innocent.  You know the ones.  The writer omits just enough of the details to feel justified in publicly airing a personal vendetta, but as intended you recognize the context of their comments and know exactly who they are trying to humiliate.

That day I knew Facebook and I were over.  It was not Facebook that was the problem; it was me.  I expected it to meet needs it was never designed for.  I manipulated it to manage my reputation and the reputation of those I loved, and I allowed its volume of friend requests and post likes to measure my self worth.

This evening I went to my first meeting with my new Women's Ministry small group from my church.  Our leader asked me if I believe I am who God says I am or if I am letting other things define me.

The Lord and I continued that conversation tonight, and I decided that I still have a love-hate relationship with Facebook.  I love what an effective tool it can be for connecting with and encouraging others. That's why four months ago I created a community page to share how God is working in my life.  But I hate how it lures me into believing my ministry is measured by the number of likes my devotional blog receives.

Lately, I have noticed myself frequently logging on to see how many of you have read my last devotional and how many of you clicked "Like" at the end of your experience.  Somewhere I got being obedient in sharing what God lays on my heart confused with being popular for saying things people like to read.  
 
I am drawing some boundaries again for my relationship with Facebook.  I will still share my devotional posts on my page because it is the most culturally effective way to communicate.  However, for now you will not find a little like button at the end of my devotionals.  I want to concentrate on seeing myself as God sees me.

I am not the number of Facebook likes at the end of this blog post. I am who God says I am - loved, beautiful, chosen and free.

Promise for today:
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.  Deuteronomy 7:6

My husband and I teach a third grade Sunday School class at church.  I look forward to sharing the Easter story with the children every year.  Using resurrection eggs, we share details of how Christ suffered because He was compelled by His love for us and how He is powerful, even over death.  We have broken down Scriptures and shared the passionate story over a dozen times.  But God in His goodness continues to bring life through His words.  Yesterday during our lesson something jumped out to me that I had never thought of before.

After comforting the women, God's messenger invited them to come and see - to come and see that Jesus wasn't there, that He had risen.  

There is such grace and love in this invitation.  The angel could have told them Jesus wasn't in there and instructed the women to go tell the disciples.  I think they would have believed the angel, just like Mary, Joseph and many others in Scripture heard God speak through His angels.  But God wanted them to experience Jesus' resurrection.  The angel told them what they were going to find, then God invited them in to see it for themselves.

Maybe yesterday you went to church for the first time in a long time.  Maybe you heard others talking about the resurrection, but you haven't experienced the hope that comes from having a relationship with a risen Savior.  God doesn't want you to just know about Him. He wants you to experience Him.

Experiencing the resurrection is not about a set of rules or a list of good works.  God's invitation isn't based on how often you attend church, how much money you put in the offering plate, how eloquently you pray or even how many Scriptures you can recite.  He welcomes anyone who seeks Him.  It doesn't matter where you have come from or what past you have brought with you.  

If you come looking for Him, God will invite you to see for yourself that He is powerful, loving and merciful.  You will be invited to not just hear about the resurrection, but to experience the resurrected Savior!


Promise for today:
You will seek Me and find Me when you seek me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:13