By Edie Melson
I hear the concern everywhere— complaints about social media and fears about what our time online is doing to us society.
Combine that with the frustration of not knowing what’s real and what’s not and we have a recipe for throwing up our hands and throwing out all digital connections.
Online danger is real. Discouragement is real. Fatigue is real. But if we focus only on the negatives of interacting online, we risk missing one of the most miraculous tools of our time.
Because for the first time in all of human history, we can reach the entire world from our homes.
Ministry from Your Kitchen Table
From a kitchen table, a home office, or even our phones while waiting in line, ministry leaders have the capacity to speak into the lives of hurting people nearby and far away. We can encourage a sister in Christ in Nairobi before finishing breakfast.
We can pray with a woman in London over Instagram direct messages. We can share Scripture with someone in Kansas City while standing in line at the grocery store.
No ministry movement in history has ever had this level of instant, global reach. This connectivity is a powerful tool provided for us by God.
When Miracles Meet the Mess
Yet often, instead of seeing the miracle, we see only the negatives. We whine over the noise, the comparison traps, the trolls, and the overwhelm.
But we must remember that miracles show up in the messiest parts of life. The online world is now an open door to reach a world that’s hurting. And every ministry leader with a smartphone has the potential to step into the role of a media missionary.
You Don’t Need a Stage Anymore
We no longer need a physical stage or microphone to serve God. We don’t have to travel. All we have to do is use what we have. And believe me, the enemy is doing everything he can to keep us from using this tool.
So, how do we connect?
•Post Scripture.
•Share what God is doing in our lives right now.
•Pray for those who are hurting.
•Offer encouragement in a comment section where someone feels unseen.
•Write a blog post or article that travels farther than a plane ever could.
This new paradigm requires us to reach out with compassion instead of complaint, courage instead of comparison, and purpose instead of perfection—using the tools God has provided.
God didn’t place us in this technological era by accident. Acts 17:26 reminds us that God determines “the times set for us and the exact places where we should live.” This means He has chosen this moment in history for us. He has trusted ministry leaders—especially women— with an opportunity no one has ever had.
Called to the Hard Places
Absolutely, being online is challenging. It’s dangerous and there are evil people out there. However, God didn’t call us into a ministry consisting of what’s safe and familiar.
Instead He warned us the world would hate us, we would need to take up our crosses, and suffering would come. All of this describes the digital missionary field before us. But we have other promises from God as well. He assures us He will be with us, He will give us the words to say, and He will give us strength.
So, the next time we feel tempted to complain about social media, what if we paused and remembered the incredible privilege we’ve been given? What if we approached our online interactions—not with dread— but with holy expectation?
God has called us for such a time as this, let’s not allow our fears make us miss the miracle we have been called to.
