Social media is such an ingrained part of our culture that many don’t remember a time without it. But it also evokes one of three reactions: We either love, tolerate, or hate it. I understand and empathize with all three, but ultimately, I must align myself with those who love it. Mind you, I don’t love everything about it, but as a whole, it adds value to my daily life, and honestly, if I didn’t have access to it, I would miss it very much. 

As a Christian, I see social media as a virtually untapped tool of mass evangelism. Please stick with me here because I will share many things that go sideways when we misuse social media. But I will also share some fundamental keys to making social media something that “punches holes in the darkness” and allows daylight to come streaming in.

First, let me give you a positive example that is as current as today. Over the weekend, I posted a small ad for our new book, “And…So We Walked,” on Facebook. The budget was small, just $5 per day for a few days. On the advice of another Christian author, I decided to target the ad primarily outside of the United States. I published the ad in Germany, Australia, England, Canada, and America. The ad says that no matter who you are or where you are on your faith journey, God has something to say to you through this book. In the last three days, I’ve had over 200 “likes” or “loves” from Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. Sure, I’ve had a few (7) haters, but over 200 positive responses. Some of those people have decided to follow me on Facebook and will get a constant barrage of memes about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don’t let this fail to impress you. I am talking about 200 people whom I had no other way to reach, who have no idea who I am, who may or may not attend church or be a believer, and a good percentage of whom are Muslims. There is no other way I could have direct access to their lives and expose them to a direct message about the gospel for $5 per day. Believe me when I tell you this will become a regular part of my “sharing Jesus” protocol. 

So how do we make a positive influence for the gospel on social media? What are the do’s (and don’ts) for sharing Jesus from your personal platform? Here are a few:

1) Be positive, not negative. Uplift, encourage, and point people toward a loving Savior.

2) Avoid trying to “scare” people into salvation.

3) Stay away from politics if you’re sharing Jesus. Otherwise, you’ll cut your audience in half before you get started. 

4) Make sure you’re consistent on social media. There’s nothing worse than being vulgar or ugly one day and promoting Jesus the next. 

5) Check your posts for spelling/grammar and ensure any facts you quote are correct. Half of all the posts I see are plagued by inaccurate statements. This ruins your credibility as a spokesperson for Christ. Just because someone else posted it doesn’t make it true.

6) Be very selective with your images. We all know that a suffering Christ and eternal punishment are real, but graphic pictures of a battered, bleeding Jesus or people burning alive in hell will turn people away from what you say. There is a place and a time for the reality of the cross and hell, but this is not the place.

7) Don’t try to make the entire case for Christianity in one post. Keep your posts short and intriguing, and ask leading questions designed to start conversations.

This is a partial list but gives you a few guidelines. May the direction of your social media posts change into a positive proclamation of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.