Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 5 Feb 2010
[The problem with "God-Wants-You-To-Know" Facebook Application]
Some of my Facebook friends are joining the next hip faith-based application called: “God Wants You to Know” (GWYTK). On a daily basis, inspirational devotionals will be sent to friends who sign up for free at the popular social networking Facebook platform. The application promises to “bring you back to love, to strength, to happiness. And in times of great need, ask for a prayer, and be supported by the caring prayers of friends around the world you never knew you had. ” With more than 6000 friends, and astonishing 1.8 million 'active users' per month, the application has certainly scratched where many people are itching. As I ponder on this new popular platform, GWYTK, I want to express some of my reservations.
People everywhere needs hope and assurance. This application attempts to fill the gap. People are hurting. This application tries to supply spiritual reliefs like how the ubiquitous Panadol does for headaches and general pain. The words expressed in the inspirationals tend to be general enough to reach a wide audience, and specific enough toward saying nice things and nice words people want to hear. Take the January 9th posting, which says: “God wants you to be you.”
I remember a couple of years ago, I read the story of a newspaper publication which ran out of horoscope contributions. Knowing that there is a sizeable following among readers for the horoscope predictions, the publishers decided to recycle some of the older horoscopes. No one really notice the difference. What a sham! What the newspaper did is essentially putting old stuff and calling it new for the day. Not only is it unethical, it makes a mockery of the readers concerned. GWYTK smells like that.
2) Hit-and-Miss
Sometimes, the application hits a raw nerve and triggers lots of appreciation and gratitude. Other times, one can simply read past the words without much feeling. Thus, it is sometimes hitting the mark, and other times missing it. If it is really from God, would not it be something that has more hits? Since God is perfect, would it not be reasonable enough to expect a 100% hit?
3) Claiming to be God?
This is perhaps the most troubling of all. Is the creator of the GWYTK God? What credentials do they have? It is one thing to believe in God. It is yet another to 'claim' to be God. This is often the root of ugly crusades and holy war. People who abuses the name of God and launch a worldly conquest often result in fatalities and damages far worse than expected. For the application to gain some credibility, change the name! Remember the words of Isaiah.
"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. “ (Isa 42:8)This can be scary. The road to idolatry is often paved with good intentions. I pray that believers will remember not to use the name of the LORD in vain. When the creators of GWYTK continue to register hits after hits, are they using God's name in vain, so that they can rise in popularity among people in the world?
4) Do 3D Devotionals
Each of us ought to do our own devotionals as much as possible. Sometimes we need help, but any external help should supplement, not substitute our daily feeding. Why should we deprive ourselves from eating solid food on our own, and consume processed food instead? Certainly, the Holy Spirit can work in any way. The best way is to adopt at least a 3-dimensional devotional, below.
Secondly, do devotions together in a community of faith. It can be a Bible study group, a prayer breakfast or any gathering. You will be surprised at how the Holy Spirit speaks insights into various hearts to form in our understanding a fuller and more wholesome image of the truth in God's Word.
Finally, devotional supplements. It could be the popular Our Daily Bread, recorded sermons online, books, or even online devotionals. This third way must never become the primary way. The fundamental devotional ways must always be personal and community.
Do our devotionals. Make it as wholesome as possible, with personal combined with community, supplemented by peripheral materials available both online and offline. For those of us who know people caught up with spiritual 'horoscope' like devotionals, remind them to read the Word of God for themselves first, and not depend on sudden moments of inspirations that are sadly too one-sided, without much reality check.
conrade
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