Social Media Changes, But Our Call to Write Keeps Us Connected

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Do you remember when all we had to do was post a beautiful graphic with a Bible verse and watch the engagement happen? Not anymore. Sometimes, even heartfelt posts sometimes fall flat. Before we pull back the curtain on what’s changed — not just in platforms, but in how readers connect — and discover how we can still show up meaningfully, let’s talk about the unchanging part of our calling—God!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 ESV

How do we reconcile God’s unchanging nature with a calling that is constantly requiring us to pivot?

God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. His priorities never change and neither does His character. HOWEVER, God is a God of surprises and He delights in doing new things through us and around us that reinforce Who He is. 

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 ESV

So, the very first thing I try to remember when I get frustrated with social media is my why. Why am I bothering with connecting online?

Each of us has a slightly different why and we need to start there and be able to articulate our personal reason. 

My why is two-fold:

• Be a light in the dark
• Share God’s love with those who don’t know Him. 

So for me, the darker social media gets, the stronger my call to stay there. The harder it gets is something I use to fuel my commitment to reach others. I take it as a personal war—instigated by the enemy—to silence me and keep me from fulfilling my calling. 

That makes me more determined than ever to figure this out—and work from God’s eternal perspective—with His priorities.

Changing Our Social Media Perspective

What if we worked from the Philippians 4:2 perspective for social media? Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 

Consider how our goals would change if we measure success from God’s perspective instead of the world’s?

• We would find joy as God is pleased with our obedience
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• We would find contentment as we walk in the strength of our part in God’s plan
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• We would find peace as we let go of the things that are not our responsibility

Here’s how I think things might go if we followed God’s path:

• God would inspire us and we would obediently set down our words—sometimes spoken, sometimes written, sometimes set to music, sometimes through video.
• We would obediently let people know about our message—websites, podcasts, manuscripts, speaking.
• We would trust God to do HIS PART—guide us to the agent we need, who will find the publisher God chooses. 
• We would NOT worry and stress and strive for numbers or position.
• We would NOT fall for the lie that we are entitled to a publisher or to a certain level of visibility.
• We would NOT allow envy, jealousy, or competition to enter our hearts and dominate our actions.
• We would serve the people God sets before us. Whether we have one or one thousand, we will be obedient. 
• We follow the purpose of our message as we share with those God sets before us. This doesn’t mean we don’t use the tools God has given us. We can trust God to do His part, but we must also do ours. And part of that is learning to use those tools.
• Social media
• Marketing
• Speaking
• Blogging
• Writing
• Proposal writing
• Amazon interfaces
• Everything else we have to do
• We would pray for the people who are currently reading our words and interacting with us.

This actually fits in with the trends we are seeing in social media today. 

Here is just some of what we’re seeing:

• Algorithms now prioritize entertainment and ENGAGEMENT over encouragement
• Inspiration alone doesn’t spread; engagement is king
• Personal can be throttled — unless you're paying or constantly posting
• Organic growth is slower for authors unless we pivot
• Community has moved off the feed (to DMs, groups, email, etc.)

Bottom Line

I know your anxiety and your thoughts as you read this. I can hear you telling me publisher and agents tell us we MUST have the numbers to get the contracts. 

And yet we must remember it is God and only God who decides the reach our words have. 

We cannot expect to be the one who dictates where our words and our message lands.

God is able to do what He says He will:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8 – 10 

• God didn’t save us for fame and fortune. 
• God didn’t call us to get rich
• God called us to the works HE ordained before the beginning of the world!

Consider this passage as it pertains to publishing and speaking:

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. 1 Corinthians 3:6 – 9 

It takes a community to bring our words to the world. Our part is simply obedience. We write the words, make the connections, learn the tools, and allow God to work. And then we rest in the fact that God will do what He says and in a way that blesses us—and everyone who reads our words. 

Now it's your turn. How do you cope when there is yet another change to social media and online connections? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Don't forget to join the conversation!

Blessings, 

Edie

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Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through her camera lens. She’s a writer who feels lost without that device & an unexpected speaker who loves to encourage an audience. She also embraces the ultimate contradiction of being an organized creative. She knows the necessity of Soul Care and leads retreats, conferences & workshops around the world on staying connected to God. Her numerous books, including the award-winning Soul Cares eries & reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts. Her blog, The Write Conversation is recognized as one of the top 101 industry resources.

She and husband Kirk have been married 40+ years and raised three sons. They live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and can often be found hiking—with Edie clinging to the edge of a precipice for the perfect camera angle and Kirk patiently carrying her camera bag and tripod. Connect with her on her website, WWW.EDIEMELSON.COM and through social media.