The Better Platform
Social media experts tell us we must maximize our platform if we want to succeed. I’d like to offer a better option for those pursuing their creativity with God.
When we believe success is a direct result of how well we play the social media game, we place our hopes in a system and pressure on ourselves to garner more likes, clicks, and followers. For most, this is an exhausting process that ultimately causes them to lose hope, feel inadequate, and walk away from their creativity. Yet our God-sized dreams are never dependent on us cracking the code of social media success.
The better platform is this—placing God at the center of your entire creative process from dream stage to release. If God has given you a message for such a time as this, then he will see it through. You don’t bypass the hard work of learning your craft, practicing, and perfecting it. But it’s also not all up to you. So let’s stop treating social media like a modern day idol we must spend endless hours appeasing. The way most social media experts see it as the answer to everything reminds me of the Mark Twain quote, “To someone with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
You don’t have to play the game of social media to succeed. Notice the disbelief—and then the relief— that statement provokes. I’m well aware this sounds totally naïve to the so-called experts of whatever industry you’re creating for. That’s okay. Throughout human history, God has never been limited or derailed by elite gatekeepers. He isn’t dependent on social media or any other human system. Matthew puts it this way: Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” (Matthew 19:26 NLT)
It’s true no one can engage with your creations if they don’t know they exist. You’ll need to determine how you can stay true to who you are to reach kindred spirits without getting caught in the web of social media likes, metrics, and numbers. Try this approach and see if it doesn’t bring you more peace and infuse your creativity with more originality. Create with God. Then trust him to guide you to open the right doors to reach the right people at the right time. It almost sounds too simple. But God tends to keep things simple. We’re the ones who overcomplicate things.
Finally, remember this. Fame is overrated. Popularity and influence aren't the same. Fewer followers doesn't mean less influence…as long as you take them deeper.
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