Today was a sad day for me. I have finally made the difficult decision to leave Twitter (X) and deactivate my account there. This was a decision I have been battling with for over a year and a half now and I thought it was finally time that I heed what I now believe may be the urging of the Holy Spirit.

There were many, many reasons that brought me to this conclusion, even amidst many, many reasons that I avoided leaving the platform. Ultimately, I think it boils down a handful of issues that I’ll explain in more detail later:

• I did not like how “Christianity” was being represented on the platform and how professing believers were treating one another.
• I did not like my own responses at times.
• I felt my focus was being misplaced.
• My experiences on Twitter were negatively affecting my relationships in real life, particularly in my local church.
• Twitter had become somewhat of an idol for me.

A Little Background

When I first bit the bullet and joined Twitter back in 2019, I did so mostly out of a desire to keep up-to-date on current events. I rarely posted Tweets of my own or commented on others, perfectly content to continue avoiding social media drama as much as possible.

About a year after joining (and in the midst of the COVID-19 debacle), my wife and I separated from our local church which was not open to correction over some serious doctrinal and ecclesiological issues. This left me without any kind of fellowship outside of my own family. It was then that I decided to become more active on Twitter and began posting sporadically, mostly just random thoughts on Scripture and the Christian life.

It wasn’t long, however, before I ran across a few fellow Christians and found Twitter to be a viable place to meet like-minded believers. The next few years were incredible. I had countless meaningful discussions on theology, dug deeper into doctrine with brothers and sisters in Christ, and forged some actual friendships (granted, these friendships are, by their online nature, a bit more shallow than can be formed in person).

I genuinely cherished my time on the platform! There were so many moments of pure joy as I fellowshipped with others, shared in their joys and sorrows, encouraged them and was encouraged by them. I grew closer to the Lord through the many thoughtful conversations and deep-dives into Scripture that were abundant and daily filled my feed.

There were numerous occasions that I would excitedly relay to my wife some of the things I’d learned or the common bonds I was able to explore with people all around the world. I had never been so immersed in God’s Word as I was on Twitter (of all places) on a daily basis! It was incredible, and an immense blessing from the Lord.

I truly endeavored to use my account and my posts to elevate Scripture, glorify God, encourage the brethren, and spread the Gospel of Christ to all who would listen. I would often post my thoughts on my daily Bible reading and those posts were often my most popular, prompting others to think deeper on the things of God, and engage in incredible conversation regarding the beauty of God’s grace and His Word.

Then something changed …

The Honeymoon Is Over

Unfortunately, over the past 1-2 years, I have noticed a dramatic and inexplicable change occur. I do not know what caused the change, but it came about quickly and with little warning.

“Christian Twitter” became toxic. Bitterness, in-fighting, slander, bickering, insults, and more began to grow and permeate throughout the community, even from accounts for whom I had great respect!

There were many times I was tempted to “rage quit” the platform due to specific interactions that had taken place:

• A professing brother in Christ (we both followed each other) referred to me as a “fag” and that comment was greeted with laughs of approval from not one, but two other “Christian” accounts with large followings that I had once respected and loved (again, mutual followers). These same two accounts would regularly repost content to their feeds to invite others to join in their mockery and insults, my own posts included. And these are two accounts that many of my mutual followers still follow to this day.
• My view on eschatology (end times) was mocked and ridiculed as “middle-ages thinking.”
• I have been labeled a “heretic” and damned to hell by professing brothers, and accused of preaching a “false gospel” for holding to a reformed understanding of salvation and God’s sovereignty.

There were many more examples, including some “friends” choosing to break fellowship over very minor disagreements either on non-essential doctrine, Christian conduct, or other issues that we should, as a Church, be able to work through peacefully.

My frequent posts, which had usually been well-received and lead to iron-sharpening-iron types of discussions, were now either being largely ignored or attracting very little positive attention (I am not sure if that was organic or if something in Twitter’s algorithms had caused the drop in engagement).

It seems that Twitter/X had become a place to argue and argue alone. It became very rare that I would get much interaction on my posts at all but when I did, the vast majority of it was from people who only wanted to cause division or complain. The ability to disagree respectfully was all but gone. The willingness of others to ask for clarification before jumping to conclusions was seldom to be found.

Add to that the fact that my feed of late became filled almost entirely with brothers and sisters “calling out” others, jumping on every slip of the tongue, minor error, or differing opinion. Yes, their targets were sometimes genuine false teachers (who warrant such public rebuke), but even then, the pile-on of outrage was incessant.

All of the above would be much more tolerable if it was from people I didn’t know and that didn’t know me. But for the most part, this came from people with whom I had thought I had a decent relationship based on our mutual love for Christ and each other. After months of being proven wrong, it has become too much.

Thankfully, most of the accounts I continued to follow until the end did not fall into any of what I just described!

All of the above are things I cannot control, though, and should not be considered the bulk of the reason I have decided to leave the social media network behind.

Things Within My Control

What I could control, however, was my own interaction with others and my own posts. For the most part, I saw a lot of growth in myself over the years as the Holy Spirit took me from the “cage stage” mentality of needing to win every argument, to what I believed to be a more humble, thought-provoking, and wisdom-seeking approach in my responses.

That was not always the case toward the end, however, as I would often get frustrated (either out of anger or out of hurt) with another user and it could come through in how I responded. If my replies weren’t sinful themselves, I often sinned in my heart in terms of what I wanted to write. There have been several instances when I’d post a passage of Scripture or talk about a biblical topic and get pushback from people who do not agree; I’d often feel like R.C. Sproul who once said “I’m going to grab them by the throat and say, ‘Why not! The Bible TEACHES IT!’” While that is absolutely appropriate at times, it shouldn’t occur in my heart as often as it did.

Casting Down Idols

I mentioned at the beginning that Twitter had become somewhat of an idol for me. That may be a strong word to use to describe what I mean, but I also believe it to be fitting.

The most shocking revelation in this regard came several months ago (perhaps even a year). As I was reading my Bible one morning, it dawned on me that I was constantly on the lookout for something I could post on Twitter about, a verse I could expound in that might garner some attention! I found myself at times reading the text, not to learn what God had to say to me, but what I could say to others! That is idolatry, folks! I had the audacity to assume that what I might tell others was more important than what the Lord has already told them and myself through His word.

It was with that realization that I stopped posting my daily reading summaries. At least on a regular basis. I still get amazed by what I read every day and often want to share it; but now I must suspect myself – am I wanting to share it for others’ benefit and God’s glory or to stoke my own pride and get likes and comments?

I genuinely was (and still am) passionate about Scripture and wanted to share that passion; I did not think I was ever overtly posting purely out of pride, but I now had cause to doubt my own motives. I admit my aversion to continuing my daily posts of this nature may also have been Satan trying to stop me from sharing God’s Word, which is why I did not stop those posts entirely; but it was still a major introspective that I had to engage in.

Negative Impacts Offline

Recently it dawned on me that my experiences on Twitter had been negatively affecting how I live my life offline. I found myself getting depressed quite often because I could no longer find a healthy avenue online to discuss my faith. It seemed as though everything I said caused a controversy and I still cannot understand why or how that became the norm.

It was due to those negative reactions to almost everything I said that I found myself hesitant to speak up during Sunday School classes at church. It is why I only attended two or three Wednesday night men’s bible studies. It is why I have been very slow to reach out to other men at church and be open to new relationships.

I became so fearful that anything I said would either not be worded correctly, would not be taken in the manner it was intended, or that I would forget an important clarifying detail. I was worried that any time I spoke up, I would anger someone or cause an argument of some kind. As someone who already has social anxiety and gets panic attacks easily in crowded areas, this became an issue.

And yet, I crave the fellowship of the local church. God did not create the Church for its members to live isolated, alone, and in fear of one another. We are not meant to walk this walk on our own, but to bear each other’s burdens, rejoice when they rejoice and weep when they weep. How can I faithfully partake of the blessing that is the local body of believers if I am too afraid to speak?

Saying Goodbye

So for all of the long-winded reasons above, I decided to post a farewell message on TwiXter today. I was not happy to do so; I was not trying to puff myself up or claim some kind of victory; I was not begging for attention or seeking cries of “please don’t go.” This is genuinely a heartbreaking decision for me; it feels like an actual breakup of a longtime relationship. There is little joy in my heart at the moment surrounding this decision.

As I waited for Twitter to compile my data (posts, comments, etc) so I can save it before deactivating my account, I was able to see some of the responses to my announcement, and they brought me literal tears. Many of the names belong to people with whom I have the fondest of memories with on the platform.

I’ve prayed for many of them and they’ve prayed for me. I’ve challenged some of them and they’ve challenged me. They’ve recommended recipes, movies, books, etc., and I’ve done the same in return. I’ve wept when they suffered sorrow and they were there for me when I needed that support. I’ve received much-needed godly wisdom from so many, and I believe God used me at times to provide some of that wisdom back.

It may seem silly or juvenile to get so worked up over social media, but at the end of the day, Twitter was more than that. At the other end of each account was a real person at the keyboard, a real person with real feelings, desires, faith, and love for Christ. I will so greatly miss so many of those people!

There is so much beauty and love to be found in the people of TwiXter, and I trust the Lord will continue to use that platform to provide hope, wisdom, companionship, and joy for many who remain.

It is my sincere hope and prayer that some might find this blog and get in touch with me in the future. While I will not be on Twitter going forward, the Lord may yet preserve a relationship or two for our good and His glory; who knows what the future may bring.

Looking Ahead

The last thing I want to talk about is the “misplaced focus” I mentioned at the top. It is my belief that the biblical order of priority for our focus should be God first, followed by our spouse, family, the local church, our community, and then the world. Much of what I sought from the internet (the world), primarily the “one anothers” of Scripture, are best found right here in my own home and at my local church. Not only does my local sphere need me, I need them.

So that is what I am looking forward to during this transition. I will miss Twitter greatly (and I have no idea where else I’ll be able to find unbiased and uncensored news going forward), but I do believe this is a sacrifice that the Holy Spirit is leading me to make.

My plan is to continue to post to this blog much of what I would have posted on Twitter, hopefully encouraging and exhorting any who read to grow in holiness and in their love for our Savior.

Will I ever return to Twitter? Perhaps I will cave at some point and return in some minimal capacity, but my prayer is that I remain resolute in the decision I’ve made, confident that it is God’s will for my life at this time.

I would appreciate any prayers you can offer to that regard!

To those I am leaving behind, please know that I love you! I carry such cherished memories of our discussions with me. I will continue to pray for you and think of you often.

If you feel so inclined, subscribe to the blog here, use the contact form to say hello, and remember that if you are in Christ, you are loved more than any of us will ever be able to comprehend.

Soli dei gloria!