The Pinterest Filter + an Announcement

I’ll be honest: this is a post I’ve been wanting to write for months now, but I haven’t had the guts or the words to present my thoughts properly.  This is, shall we say, one of those “toe-stepping” posts.  It’s something that I think trips up too many Christian girls, even those in my own circles.

I’m all for Pinterest and I love it; if you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know this.  However, I’ve been so saddened and frustrated at some of the things I have seen come through my stream.  Pins that Christian girls, including some of my friends, have pinned.  In fact, this has caused me to unfollow many people and/or boards.

The problem I am seeing – this “misuse” – has been of people using Pinterest as a pity party or a positivity drain.  They pin dozens of pins with negative memes, photo descriptions, or quotes about their job, their health, the people they interact with, and other situations of life.  High schoolers are pinning memes about how much they dislike school or think it’s stupid.  Almost every account I follow has a board entitled something to the effect of “This is me.”  Some people are pinning pins to make them feel better about their life situations, but they’re also pinning things about their personality that shouts “PITY ME.”  They post things about how sad their life is and about their insecurities.

As someone reading these sorts of pins, it angers me that people are using Pinterest for a pity party, to excuse or justify their actions, or to describe their *miserable* lives.  Those pins are not helping people with insecurities and troubling predicaments; they are simply digging themselves into a deeper hole of self-pity and negativity.

You may remember this post I wrote last year about letting go of the past.  In that post, I shared how I deleted my Pinterest board about childhood cancer awareness.  It was time for me to let go of that part of my life.  Sure, it will always be a part of me, but I didn’t need that board to cater to and remind me daily of things I needed to move on from.

I get it if you have a serious health ailment and have a board to pin ideas and remedies and those sorts of things on.  But quotes and memes and pictures about how awful and terrible your ailment is?  Ditch those.  They won’t help you choose to look beyond the pain and have joy.  They will only bring you down, and those that see them.

I do believe that Pinterest has a rightful place, and is a very helpful tool, if used properly.  You may be thinking, “Oh, I would never pin those sorts of pins you are describing!”

Girl, let me look you in the eye and ask, “Are you sure?”

Think about that for a moment.

Before you think that you are exempt from this message, I want you to go on Pinterest and open up your profile page where it shows you all your boards.

Now, as you look through your boards and pins, ask yourself the following:

Is there anything on here that is negative?

Is there anything on here that is unnecessary?

Is there anything on here that might not be edifying?

Is there anything on here that is not glorifying to God?

Maybe ask a close friend that you respect to help you out and point out anything she sees that you should get rid of.  Be open and willing to receive some hard advice.

Let’s not just stay on the “after” side of things though.  Cleaning out your boards and pins and asking yourself those 4 questions on a regular basis is something that’s all well in good.  But let’s also learn how to attack the problem before we pin something.

Before pinning, ask yourself:

Is this glorifying to God?

Is this edifying to my sisters in Christ?

Will this build up my spirit whenever I see it, or tear me down?

Filter your pins through Philippians 4:8.  Keep these two words in mind: choose joy.  Then, make sure your pins are edifying and joy-filled!  Use Pinterest as a spiritual weapon and not a stumbling block.  Use it for good, and not evil!

I used to journal on my laptop, using a Word document, so I could write more down in a quicker time, add photos, be creative with fonts, etc.  Well, about a year or so after I started journaling this way, I decided to go through and re-read what all I had written.  I’ll tell you, there is SO much that I deleted…  I saw things and went, “This is not edifying to me today!”  I had written about a crush, and then some sentences about my negative emotions… in short, I knew none of that was serving a helpful purpose.  I deleted and never looked back.  I still know what my thoughts were on those days and I know what I had originally written, but now I don’t have to go back and see it, and that is a blessing.  Keep this principle in mind when you filter through your Pinterest.  Don’t pin anything that isn’t helpful and edifying.  I am serious when I say, pin with purpose!

ANNOUNCEMENT…

For a while now, I’ve been thinking of creating a Pinterest account specifically for my blog, different 

from my personal account. I wanted to provide a place for Christian girls to get inspiration and be edified in the process.

I’m excited to announce that Grace Notes is now on Pinterest!

I’ve had so much fun getting the account set up, creating boards, and adding the first couple pins.  There are still relatively few pins, but I plan on adding to it regularly in the coming months.

I recognize that I am not exempt to the potential stumbling blocks of Pinterest, such as the ones I discussed above.  Therefore, if you are ever offended or have concerns about anything I pin, PLEASE let me know!  I want Grace Notes to be as helpful and edifying as possible.  Same goes with my blogging, the videos on my YouTube channel, and every other part of my life. Please keep me accountable!

Now, I hope y’all will join me over on Pinterest for some fun and edifying inspiration!  Click here now to view the new Grace Notes account on Pinterest!  If you have any board suggestions, please let me know in the comments below. :)

Merry Christmas!