Time for a Little Tough Love

I've noticed several trends lately involving teens, and even some young adults for that matter, and pictures on Facebook. I feel like there is a need for some things to be said, in love, to help people out when they are taking/picking out pictures to post to their Facebook accounts. These are things that as a mother, I wish other mothers had told their children before they allowed them to have Facebook accounts. Or, maybe their mother did tell them, and they just didn't listen...sometimes it just takes a different voice...if it helps one young person, allow me to be that voice, and share a little tough love.

1. Bathroom pictures - Please, please stop taking pictures of yourself in the bathroom mirror. A toilet/shower/trash can does NOT EVER make a suitable background. Bathrooms are for privacy, not to share with the world. Please, step into another room, and ask someone to take the picture for you.

2. Mirror pictures/self pictures via arms length cell phones - These type of pictures speak two distinct things. First, you have no one else to take the picture for you. Or, second, you think very highly of yourself, and believe that others share the same opinion.

3. The hand on the hip, chest out pose - This type of picture does not say wholesome young lady. It says that you are not confident in who you are, but WHAT you are. Believe me when I say, God made you to be a somebody, not a something. Believe in WHO you are in Christ, and stop advertising something that is not for sale.

4. Pouty fish face/tongue hanging out like a panting dog face - Just don't do the pouty fish lips or the tongue hanging out like a panting dog look. Fish lips are for fish. Panting dog tongues are for dogs. Period.

5. Pictures showing too much skin - Please don't post pictures showing off more of you than the rest of us want to see. This too, speaks several different things. Things like, you think too highly of yourself. Or, perhaps, on the flip side, you don't respect yourself enough. Or that you are an item, not a person. Regardless, there are things that only your husband or wife should see, and these are not appropriate for you to put all over Facebook, for anyone who sees it to be able to get a cheap thrill (cheap as in, they had to do nothing but click a few buttons to get their thrill, not as in the person posting the picture is cheap). Because you are very valuable...which is why I feel I must share with you what happens when you post these types of pictures of yourself. And the people getting the cheap thrill, are not the "love you and you only, marry you and take care of you forever" types that you want to attract.

Please realize that just because you may have pictures like this on your facebook account, it does not mean that you intended to "say" or give the impressions I wrote about above, but the truth is...whether you mean to send that message or not, it IS the message that your picture sends. If you wish not to make statements like the ones above with your pictures, please be more selective in the pictures that you post in the future.

As a mother of teens, I see a lot of teen Facebook pictures, and my heart breaks at the lack of self respect I see in young people today. I want them to know how precious they are, and how much God loves them. He loves them so much that He sent His only Son to die for them (John 3:16). So much that He knows the number of hairs on their head (Matt. 10:30). So much that He has a plan for their future (Jeremiah 29:11).

So, teen, young adult, parent, grandparent, or friend...Set the example by posting good, wholesome, pure, or funny pictures. Then help someone out by telling them in love just what their picture says...don't let them send messages they don't want to send. And take it a step farther by sharing just how much God loves them, and how very precious they are to Him.