How many do you have?

I have three.

Sometimes (okay most of the time) they are the first thing I check on in the morning, the last thing I check on at night.

I spend an undisclosed amount of time checking the editing and then I sit back and (hopefully) watch the likes and the comments trickle in. Occasionally, if there’s been no response, I’ll delete it because if there are no likes there’s no point in posting – right?

What am I talking about?

Social media, of course.

It’s been a part of my life for ten years; starting with the heady days of MySpace and Bebo (neither of which you will have probably heard of).

And like you, I love a good filter, it can make piles of paper look artsy and interesting.

But it’s not real.

And it is what is real that is most important.

You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. Matthew 5:5 MSG

The parent who has your back whatever you face, the friend who makes you laugh when you’re tearing your hair out, the niece or nephew who can brighten your whole day with their smile. These things are what’s real and that is what we crave.

Connection.

It can’t be bought or sold and it’s sometimes found in the most unexpected of places. It’s what social media presents to us but never gives us.

It’s what Jesus offers us, it’s what He offered humanity when He left heaven’s throne room for the helpless body of a baby.

The connections that we value the most are the ones which don’t require a filter.

So reach beyond the screen and head out into the flesh and blood world of real life.

It can be scary, but it can be beautiful #nofilter.

Rachael Newham is the Founding Director of ThinkTwice which offers mental health awareness, training and consultancy. For more information head to www.thinktwiceinfo.org.

Twitter @RachaelNewham90 @ThinkTwiceInfo