The RAVYN Blog

You’re scared.

You’re trembling.

You’re starting to back out.

Because, truth be told, while you’re an Instagram girlie, soon-to-be influencer, and up-and-coming content creator, you’re used to sharing your outfits, daily routines, and makeup hauls … not the Gospel.

But it can’t be that bad, right? All you need to do is share a Bible verse every now and again, with a caption saying, “Jesus loves you,” and you’re in the clear.

Not so fast.

How I Began Sharing the Gospel

Not too long ago, I was in this same predicament. Actually, I leaned more toward the stubborn side. I started my blog years ago, mainly to share my love for fashion, makeup, and art. I was obsessed with Kat Von D’s makeup line; I tried just about every lipstick color imaginable, and my blog and Instagram were all about beauty and fashion before it was even a thing.

I enjoyed it.

To be honest, I want to get back into it … just a little, of course.

During college, my fashionista blog slowly turned into a lifestyle blog that captured my favorite moments in New York. But what I truly wanted out of my life was substance.

And … somehow, in my last two years of college, everything changed.

So, what changed?

A lot.

Mostly, my relationship with God grew deeper.

Then, when COVID-19 hit, I felt led to share the Gospel through social media. I had many seasons trying to figure out how to share it and whether people would even be interested in reading it. Like, who would be interested in reading about some girl’s Christ-centered world?

Who even reads? 🙄

(I do!)

Fear, panic, and stubbornness kept me from doing what God placed on my heart. But while I was thinking of every excuse in the book, others were using their platform to boldly share God’s love.

God used two people whom I *adored* (well, actually… three) to help propel me into the arena of using social media to share the Gospel. And, like that, my social-media-centered world became not only a hotspot for me to share the Gospel, but also to hear the Gospel.

However … there’s a problem.

How does one *start* sharing the Gospel using a platform that seems to only favor the most secular things?

How far can we go in sharing God’s love in a world that seems to grow more chaotic with every passing second? Even more daring: how does one break the barrier?

The answer is this: you never really break the barrier or become a star overnight. Using your platform to share the Gospel is not about trying to gain followers.

After all, I started doing it because the Spirit led me to, but I panicked when my almost 300 followers (yes, you heard me) dropped to 272 and have stayed there ever since. I kept asking… if God wanted me to do it, why wasn’t I getting any more followers?

And … I also blamed myself a lot, claiming that my own shortcomings and inconsistencies kept my account stagnant.

Even worse, I felt unheard. After all, other content creators got a lot of traction sharing the Gospel, but my technique wasn’t theirs, and I feared I had to do what they were doing to get anywhere.

But … fear not!

The Holy Spirit reminded me that sharing the Gospel online isn’t about *gaining followers* (although we are in the business of gaining followers for the Kingdom). It’s about glorifying God. And in that, I realized that every piece of content I created and shared was made at a moment that encouraged me first.

Little by little, in the background, I see that my content reaches many people, though on the surface, it looks like it’s reaching nowhere. Still, I’ve learned one thing: I’m not doing this for myself. I’m not doing this for anyone else. I am doing this for God.

But enough about me.

You’re here because you want help. You want to know how to use your social media to start sharing the Gospel.

I have five rules. Well, they aren’t really rules. They’re more like guidelines you should follow. And hear me out: these guidelines are there to help you start, but ultimately, you’re the one who’ll have to persevere.

Don’t worry about followers, algorithms, and engagements. Those are distractions to discourage you. Instead, push on … and keep pushing on.

Guideline #1: Start On Your Own

Maybe you’re waiting for a church or pastor to put you in charge of the church’s social media account or blog.

Don’t.

First, start on your own platform. Create a *brand* for yourself.

Now, what do I mean by brand? 🤔

I mean you’re going to create something authentic to who you are. Are you a poet? Write some poems and share them? Are you an artist? Share your work. With each gift, use it as a catalyst to begin sharing the Gospel.

Share a testimony. In fact, that’s how I began.

I’m a storyteller, so I enjoy telling stories. It took a while to find my authentic self, and I realized my personal *brand* involved sharing part of my life. Little by little, I started sharing snippets of my world, sharing quotes, Scriptures, and prayers.

Guideline #2: Start Small, Build Gradually

Social media platforms aren’t about grand-scale productions and perfectly curated sets. Social media platforms are meant to be little snippets of your authentic life.

Currently, social media platforms are made up of three major pieces:

Social media today is made up of three major pieces:

• Static Posts
• Short-form videos
• Captions

Each serves its purpose, and you can start small with each one. For static posts, think of simple things you can do. If you’re a photographer, share a photo you took and add a caption underneath with a personal testimony related to it.

If you love creating content, then get some templates on Canva and share a scripture, poem, or quote. You can do the same thing with short-form videos. If you’re comfortable showing your face on camera, tell a story or share an encouragement. Say a prayer. It’s simple, and it’s easy to do.

Guideline #3: Start with the Familiar, then Branch Out

If you’re not sure where to begin, the Bible is full of content, and curating a list of Scriptures that encourage you is one way to start.

However, don’t just post a Scripture and leave.

Post a Scripture and share how it impacted you and how it can impact others. Talk about what you know, what’s personal to you. Talk about your walk with God.

Early in my social media evangelism, I made the somewhat mistake of creating an entirely different Instagram to use for this big project. Part of that project was doing a deep dive on the Trinity, and I felt heartbroken when the first comment I received was someone attacking me.

However, I realized that I was starting in unfamiliar territory, especially on Instagram. I simply wasn’t at the stage to begin sharing theological doctrines on Instagram of all places!

I changed my method by taking snippets from my blog and turning them into quotes, sharing my personal journey with God. Through that, I also refined what felt authentic to me.

Guideline #4: Start with Motivation

Some people go into digital evangelism with heavy topics and controversial pieces that attract a lot of attention. Not everyone is ready for that attention … at least not so early in their evangelism.

This isn’t to say you should shy away from difficult conversations. This is to say, don’t start with those difficult conversations if you’re not fully prepared for the backlash you might receive.

Start with encouragement and motivation.

Encouragement can be just as deep and thought-provoking as something that could stir up controversy. It could resonate with someone on a personal level—someone who needs to hear it at that moment.

Guideline #5: Start with the Holy Spirit’s Guidance

It’s easy to be bogged down by the spirit of pride. A sense of superiority can easily slip in when you begin posting content. It may be godly, but it could also not be of God.

There are many times when I want to post something that’s passive-aggressive, meant to attack someone.

I can’t begin to tell you how many blogs I’ve written about experiences directed at certain people. But even when I write those pieces to get my frustrations out, the Holy Spirit never lets me post them, because I wrote them in anger, hatred, or sometimes grief.

The message of the Gospel can easily be tainted with backbiting, insults, and passive-aggression when done in a spirit contrary to God’s. As you use social media, think wisely. Is this piece meant to glorify God or tear someone down?

You may have God attached to it, but it needs God’s approval first.

Begin the Journey

So now that you have these five guidelines, you’re ready to start.

There are tons of platforms out there, and you should start by finding the one that suits your style. Love creating videos? Get on TikTok or Instagram Reels? Love to write? Think about Facebook and WordPress. Love creating graphics or taking photos? Start on Instagram.

No matter where you are or what you do, find a way to share the Gospel. 🩷🩷🩷

Toodles,