Over the last two years the pace of change has accelerated exponentially. This has been most noticeable in the development of mobile technology and the impact social media now has on our lives. Globally mobile devices have put the means to connect with anyone, anywhere at anytime literally into everyone's hands.
As a result of this social media has evolved from a fun, convenient way to keep in touch with friends and family to being a valuable and sadly misused tool in shaping politics, culture, education, job markets, business and innovation among other things.
Pandemic exposure
Anyone with a mobile device and access to social media can now partake in experiences and have access to information that a decade ago would have been far beyond their reach. This of course has its pros and cons. Millions of students worldwide benefitted from virtual classes, field trips, concerts and lectures from subject matter experts across the globe.
Churches remained functional and now broadcast sermons to global audiences. People in lockdown watched, listened to and enjoyed more media than they would normally.
This has also meant that children and teens have access to social media sites such as Youtube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram during regular school hours. Since the declaration of the pandemic, exposure has been great. Not just to the coronavirus and its many variants but to everything on the world wide web.
What's my point?
I say all of this to explain why I have a line from a soca song as my title. For those who aren't familiar, soca is a musical genre associated with the twin island country, Trinidad and Tobago and the Lenten festival of carnival.
I do not actively participate in carnival and I do not believe it's something Christians should be involved in. However, due to social media and the popularity of short videos known as reels, I am quite familiar with the chorus from which the above line is taken from as it is now a viral sensation with a global viewership of over 15 million.
This one line has now become a two part self care mantra:
1) Drink water
2) Mind my business
Is this something we should pay heed to? I think so and I'll tell you why.
How many glasses of water per day?
Medical experts for years have recommended 8 glasses of water per day. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has determined that on average an adult male requires 15L of fluid daily and an adult woman requires 11L, with about 80 per cent being pure water and the balance coming from fruits, vegetables and juices.
Proper hydration is essential for good health and wellness right down to a cellular level. It helps to regulate several body functions, prevent infection, promotes proper waste management within the body, improves sleep quality and a myriad of other things. As many people would say, water is life.
"Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John chapter 4 verses 13-14).
Spiritual hydration is of utmost importance. In the above passage Jesus is speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well. In order to effectively pour into the lives of others we must drink our own spiritual water, which Jesus gives.
On a daily basis how do we drink this Living Water and how many glasses are necessary you ask? We do this by testifying of His goodness in our lives, giving thanks in every circumstance, calling upon His name, reading and praying over God's word. You can never overdose on the Living Water.
Mind the business that pays you
This sentiment loosely translates to looking out specifically for what benefits you. Now in its raw state this is the antithesis of the Christian life. Jesus Christ lived and died for the benefit of the whole human race. We are instructed to love our neighbours as we love ourselves, to act justly, love mercy and deny ourselves in order to take up the cross and follow Jesus. Looking out for others, making sacrifices for others is what we are called to do.
One of the greatest downsides of the social media explosion however is the VIP access and the backstage passes we are given into the lives of millions of people we have no actual relationship with. We have somehow idolised opinions and any difference of the same is immediate justification for cancel culture which has now become normalised, sadly, even in the church.
"Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people's business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good." 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 verses 11-13
When we get so caught up in the lives of others and righting the 'wrongs' we see over there we can easily begin to neglect the duties and responsibilities that have been assigned to us. We gossip and call it prayer requests, ignore and call it wisdom, boast and call it accountability. Paul felt it necessary to call out the behaviour of the church in Thessalonica and today so many of us need that same wake up call.