They added a timely feature to Facebook a little while ago where you can unfollow someone’s feed without unfollowing the person. Meaning, you don’t have to unfriend your friends entirely but remain friends without allowing their words and issues to consume your thoughts.
For example: Trump.
I guess you could say I got tired of Trump trumping every other topic on social media so this feature really came in handy.
There’s also another feature on Facebook where you can follow and set notifications for people and material you do want to see. Meaning, if you follow a blog you really love, you can set your notifications so you never miss a post.
I can’t tell you how helpful these features have made my social media experiences. These features have allowed for me to clean up the noise and clutter that always seemed to find its way into my newsfeed. No longer would the negative voices drown out the positive messages. And rarely do I now come across things I find inappropriate, disrespectful or distasteful because I’ve set my account to follow material aligned with my values and beliefs.
Which makes me think differently about Matthew 16:24:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
It’s one thing to set your life notifications to follow Jesus, but it’s also equally important to unfollow the people that take away from His message.
If you aren’t intentional about unfollowing the voices that drown out Jesus’s words and ways, trust me, the noise and clutter of misguidedness will always find a way into your newsfeed.
Point is, you have to make a decision as to whose voices are speaking loudest in your life… whose example is actually guiding you and the way you choose to live… whose posts are cluttering up your newsfeed… and which accounts you really are following.
If you really desire to follow the ways of Jesus, perhaps it’s time to re-adjust the settings of your heart so you unfollow the ways of people.
