Description
you: Chasing virality, doing outrageous or harmful things just to get views and positive engagement, and letting the "algorithm" of public opinion dictate your actions.
Chasing Engagement: To boost his popularity among certain factions, Herod arrested and executed the Apostle James. When he opened his "notifications" and saw how well that went over, he immediately went further: "When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also" (Acts 12:1-3). He was literally feeding off the crowd's positive feedback loop to guide his policy. The Viral Peak and Crash: Later, Herod put on shimmering royal robes, sat on his throne, and delivered a performative public speech. The crowd went wild, chanting, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man!" (Acts 12:21-22). Herod soaked in the ultimate "like" and "share" moment, refusing to give praise to God. The Bible notes that his addiction to self-glory ended catastrophically, as he was immediately struck down by an angel and died.
The Performative Influencers
you: The "influencer lifestyle"—using public spaces to show off your best self, tracking your status relative to others, and caring deeply about blue checkmarks (titles) and front-row seats.
The Curated Feed: Jesus called them out for broadcasting their good deeds to get public engagement. He said, "Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long" (Matthew 23:5). They were adjusting their outer appearance to maximize visual impact. Chasing Status Symbols: They loved the ancient equivalent of VIP badges and public shoutouts: "they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others" (Matthew 23:6-7). The Psychological Reality: Jesus exposed the hollow core of this addiction using a powerful analogy: they were like whitewashed tombs—beautiful and pristine on the outside (the grid layout looks perfect), but completely dead on the inside (Matthew 23:27). The addiction to external praise had entirely hollowed out their internal character.
You are not defined by your struggles.
Pressure builds you, it doesn't break you.
Faith makes things possible.
You don't need to be perfect, just willing.
Your current situation is not your final destination.
Stop doubting what you can do.