This is the first in the series of posts aimed at empowering Christians, particularly those of us in Ghana. Articles, which will be posted this month, will be targeted towards improving our interactions as Christians and make us better people. Today’s post intends to take us through some protocols of using Whatsapp, a popular social media platform. Make sure you read and share with people who need this counsel.
The Bible in Hosea 4:6 says,
my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge.
We, however, do not have any excuse to unlearn some old and unacceptable behaviours.
Here are some helpful tips on how to use Whatsapp as a Christian:
Don’t form a Group, YET
Whatsapp groups are common and very easy to form. It is very tempting to decide to form one immediately after every church meeting.
But before you decide to form a group, there should be a clear aim for setting up the page. Are you forming the group because of an upcoming event? If that is the reason, do not forget to close the group when the event has ended.
Also, let that group page be governed by some rules (Romans 13:1). It is easy for us Christians to keep bombarding ourselves with all sorts of forwarded messages. This is why as an administrator of the page, you should be as specific as possible on the purpose for the group page by clearly spelling out the rules for your members.
All Messages are not relevant; Don’t forward them
Unless some of us do not read the words, ‘forward this message and receive your miracle.’ That message will end up in all groups that we are a part of, which is sometimes annoying.
On the issue of ‘share this information and receive your miracle,’ like some principles in our faith, is not automatic. Miracles will happen in your life if only you believe. Do not share those messages and think you will automatically receive whatever you have been trusting God for. Christianity is not magic.
Let one discussion end before introducing a new topic
A typical phenomenon on some Christian WhatsApp platforms is when members of that group are discussing something pertinent and another member shares another thing totally unrelated to what is being discussed. For instance, members on a group page are discussing how best to promote an upcoming event and all of sudden, Kwame forwards a funny photo of something totally unrelated to what is being discussed.
Let’s be vigilant, in real life you may not interrupt people by introducing a new subject, why is it easy for us to do so on WhatsApp group pages?
Send personal messages before adding people to groups
One of the most embarrassing things that happened to me on a church WhatsApp group page was when I was added without being notified of what the page was about. I started criticising the very cause for which I was added to the group. The administrator immediately took me off the page, sent a personal message to introduce the group before adding me but, the harm had already been caused.
I just wondered why the administrator did not do this the first time but made me embarrass myself.
Let’s not put members of group pages in such embarrassing situations.
Introduce yourself when sending a message for the first time
When you are sending a message to someone for the first time, please introduce yourself. Why do we assume the person knows you and has your contact saved on their phones? Try to avoid the shameful situation of being asked to introduce yourself when sending a message for the first time.
There are a group of people who do not communicate with you at all. All they do is to forward devotionals and other messages to you. Please strike some acquaintance with your contacts before you forward messages to them!
Be empowered as a Christian! Remain blessed as you practise these etiquettes!
What are some of the situations you have noticed on Whatsapp but have not been captured in this post? Do share with us in the comment box.
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