What Are You Looking At?

Following every basketball season, I would make a highlight video of all my best plays. That video made me look really good. Of course, I didn’t include any missed shots or turnovers. It was a five-minute video of me doing all the right things and nothing wrong. I knew my mistakes in each game, but the people watching that video didn’t. They only saw what I wanted them to see.

Social media is just like this. People only post what they want others to see. It’s everybody’s highlight reels, their best selfie, the best part of their family vacation, the best part of their relationship. Just like I didn’t want to include the turnovers and missed shots in my highlight video, people don’t want to include the parts of their lives that are less than perfect.

The problem is that we compare everybody’s highlight reels to our mistakes. We compare other people’s filtered lives to our unfiltered lives. We see the best versions of somebody’s relationship, house and family, and compare it to the worst version of ours. 

It’s the perfect tactic from the enemy because comparison has always been the thief of joy. When we compare ourselves to others, it’s a lose-lose situation. We either feel inferior or superior. We are either full of pride or full of condemnation. We get so focused on what we have or don’t have that we forget to focus on Christ.

Social media steals our attention from God. It distracts us from who God is. It distracts us from what God says about us. And it distracts us from how God calls us to live.

Jesus’ disciple Peter didn’t have social media, but he struggled with this exact thing.

During one of Jesus’ most important conversations with him, Peter got distracted by what God was doing in someone else’s life.

Jesus had just finished telling Peter how loved Peter is and how great of a role he will play in growing God’s Kingdom. Peter was face to face with the resurrected Jesus, having the conversation of a lifetime — until he saw someone else.

“So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them, the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, ‘Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray you?’ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about him?’

‘If I want him to remain until I come,’ Jesus answered, ‘what is that to you? As for you, follow me.’” -John 21:20-22

As soon as Peter saw John coming, he completely forgot what Jesus said. He couldn’t help but ask, “What about him?”

Every time Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he lost sight of who God says he is. Sometimes, Peter saw people and circumstances more than his Savior, but Jesus kept reminding him of his identity and built his confidence.

The same thing happens to us all the time. We scroll on social media and get so worried about what God is doing in everybody else’s life that we miss what God wants to do in ours. We worry more about our followers than following Jesus.

When Peter had his eyes on Jesus, he did remarkable things. Because he had full confidence in Jesus, he also had confidence in himself and the mission Jesus gave him.

When we keep our eyes on Jesus and His great love, compassion and grace, we stand on a solid foundation and are reminded of His constant presence, rather than our ever-changing situations.

“Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” -Hebrews 12:1b-2

We must keep our eyes on Jesus. We must remember that we are called to follow Him first. Only when we do that will we fully see God’s promises and perfect plan for us and our lives.

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Live It Out:

Quarter Verse – “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” -Matthew 6:33

Question – Where have you been fixing your eyes: on Jesus, or social media? How can you shift your perspective and be reminded of Jesus today?

Challenge – Take a break from social media for a week. Use that time to get outside, call a friend, or read your Bible. See how your perspective and heart are after that time.

*If you read this article and aren’t in a relationship with Christ yet but would like to know more, we invite you to go through FCA’s The FOUR, which explains how an everlasting and fulfilling life with God is possible.

We want you to join us as we go through the Glory journey this year! Discover Chasing Glory, Received Glory, Reflecting Glory and Lasting Glory in your heart and purpose by diving into God’s Word and joining us through monthly content and challenges. Visit 

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