So you also have sorrow now.  But I will see you again.  Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will rob you of your joy.  John 16:22 HCSB

I love to go into stores and look at their “As seen on TV” section.  It’s all those gadgets that advertised on tv where they tell you catchy things like “if you call now, you can get two thingamabobs for the one low price that you see on the screen” or “order now for only three payments of 59.00”.  But if you are like me, you don’t call in.  But when I go into Walmart, I find myself looking at these things and wondering if they are as awesome as the commercial claims?  Do they really do everything that they do on tv?  I have known a few friends to buy them and tell me that no, they don’t.  Or they do for a short time and then they stop doing what they are supposed to do.  The little bit of time that I am on social media, I realize that some people are about as truthful on social media as those infomercials on tv.

I get that we want everyone to think that our life is just one big happy merry-go-round.  But in reality, you often realize that it’s not that way.  It’s false advertisement.  When you know what is going on behind the scenes, you are often shocked when you see someone’s social media posts.  My friend said that she got off of Facebook last holiday season, because no one could possibly be as jolly as everyone was pretending to be.

But what if our lives could be as awesome as they are portrayed to be on social media?  What if our lives were as great as they were seen through the social media posts?  Well they could be.  If you give your life over to God, then your life could be “as seen on Facebook”.  You could have that peace and joy that everyone appears to have on social media.

So you have to ask yourself a few questions.  First, are you faking it on social media to make all your friends think that your life is great, when in reality your life is the pits?  Are you just pretending to be blissfully happy when you are full of sorrow and despair?  If you are then, don’t worry, there is hope.

We have hope in Jesus Christ.  Remember, Him?  God’s son who died a horrible, humiliating death to save horrible sinners like you and me.  He is our hope.  In Him all our hope is found.  It’s not in the parties.  It’s not in the alcohol, the drugs, the sex or anything that you are using to substitute for Him.  Those things provide fake, temporary, happiness which leads to great sorrow and despair.  But if you want true happiness like the kind most people post on social media, then you need to turn to Him.  You need to give it all to Him. Give Him the good, the bad and the ugly.  He doesn’t care if it’s an awful picture.  He doesn’t care if it’s really messy.  He will take it.  He will clean it up for you and make it beautiful.

If you are going through life faking peace and joy, know that you can’t do that for long.  Sooner or later, your little cookie will crumble.  But have no fear, God is there to pick up the pieces.  Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).  He doesn’t want you to be pretending to have a great life, He wants you to really, truly have a great life (John 10:10).  Trust in Him and allow Him to guide you.

Then you will no longer have to pretend to be happy.  Your true life will actually match those great pics in your posts.

Have a great day!