Readings for today: Isaiah 13-15, Galatians 6
There may not be anything more dangerous to our mental health than self-promotion. Recently, Facebook completed an internal study of the impact of Instagram especially on teenage girls. The results were not good. 1 in 5 girls reported Instagram makes them feel worse about themselves. 32.4% of them reported Instagram made them feel worse about their bodies specifically. Significant percentages reported increased rates of anxiety and depression as well. This squares with an earlier finding in Britain that measured the impact of mental health across all social media platforms. All of them reported similar increases in rates of anxiety, depression, and even physical illness. The greater the usage, the greater the impact. So here’s the big question…why? What is it about social media that drives us to despair? Social media is literally designed to create a self-reinforcing feedback loop. It activates the brain’s “reward” center by releasing dopamine with every “like” or “follow” or engagement. As such, it becomes addictive and like all addictions, you rapidly reach the point of diminishing returns. Simply put, you find yourself craving more and needing more to get the same dopamine effect. The results of the study show that - consciously or subconsciously - people are using social media to boost their self-esteem. Polish their self-image. Promote themselves and their accomplishments. They do this to create a greater sense of belonging in their social circle. When their posts receive a lot of attention, the pleasure centers in their brain fire up. Dopamine is released. They feel great. When their posts go unnoticed or are seemingly ignored, the pleasure centers of their brains remain dormant. Dopamine is not released. And just like any addict, when they are denied what they crave, they grow anxious and depressed.
This is not a new problem. Human beings have been struggling with this issue from the beginning. There is something innate within us that craves attention. We long to be recognized. Long to be loved and admired and respected. Call it pride. Call it arrogance. Call it the “idol of Self.” It is rooted deep within our sinful nature and it is impossible to resist. We see a great example of it from our reading today in Isaiah. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’ All the kings of the nations lie in glory, each in his own tomb; but you are cast out, away from your grave, like a loathed branch, clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit, like a dead body trampled underfoot. You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people.” (Isaiah 14:12-20)
Traditionally, we believe this passage has a double-meaning. In human terms, it refers to the Babylonian king. The man who set himself up as ruler of the world. The man who believed himself to be greater than any human or god. He set up images of himself. He demanded to be worshipped. He clearly attempted to claim a position that was not his own. In spiritual terms, we also see this as a reference to Satan. Lucifer. The devil. An angel who once lived with God in glory but fell through pride and arrogance as he sought to usurp God’s throne. Regardless of what interpretive stance you hold - and it is possible to believe both - they end with the same result. Those who exalt themselves are brought low. Those who promote themselves are cast down. Those who seek to raise themselves through pride and arrogance to a lofty status end up falling on their faces. They become the subject of derision. They are quickly cast aside and forgotten.
We see it in our own world all the time. How many celebrities rise and fall? How many social influencers come and go? How many politicians get their fifteen minutes of fame? Those with any kind of staying power often have to resort to greater and greater acts of self-promotion in order to remain relevant. They become attention-seekers in order not to be forgotten. It’s shameless and often borders on the absurd. By the way, I see the same thing happening with pastors. The pursuit of platform and performance and self-promotion over faithfulness and a long obedience in the same direction. It’s why so many fall into sin. It’s why so many fall into temptation. They are driven to create content. Driven to create a buzz. Driven by their success to create greater success. All defined by numbers reached. Butts in the seats. Online views. Books published. Conferences invited to. You name it. They become an industry unto themselves. But such fame is fleeting. Such attention is not good for the soul. The pressure to perform is too much which is why so many crater at the end.
So what’s the answer? I think the Apostle Paul sums it up well, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14) The only Person we should be platforming is Jesus. His is the only name under heaven by which we might be saved and therefore His is the only Name we should be promoting to the world. A famous saint once said, “Preach the gospel, die, and be forgotten.” That sounds about right to me. At the end of the day…if my life is to count for anything…may it be because I pointed people beyond myself to Jesus.
Readings for tomorrow: None