In 2025, influencer culture is inescapable. Try scrolling through social media platforms, and you’ll see the growing metrics of likes, retweets, and follower counts flashing like neon signs. For many, these numbers aren’t just stats since it is also a measure of worth for them. “If I’m not trending, am I even relevant?” “If I don’t have a platform, do I matter?” The pressure is real, and it’s shaping how we see ourselves. The quest to be seen, heard, or reckoned with has now become the defining obsession of our age. The church is regrettably following suit and disregarding the exhortation to “come out from among them and be separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17). We are invited to pose a new question: Does God assess worth the same way the world does? Many Christians have been blinded to a deep truth by the unrelenting need for acceptance and an orphan spirit, which is characterized by emotions of abandonment, rejection, loneliness, and a lack of belonging.
We have been convinced that value comes from visibility, and this is a system solely built on results and performance. The prevailing mindset in society insists that unless you amass a large social media following (often of people you do not align with), you are neither “great” nor “purposeful”. Many believe that without them going viral or trending, their purposes remain unfulfilled. Isn’t this a virus in itself infecting our thinking? Worse still is the extent people can go to the trend for followers or likes. But the Bible flips this upside down. In Genesis 1:27, we’re told we’re made in God’s image, and this does not mean the image of our followers counts. That alone gives us worth, no filter is needed.
Nowadays, it has become almost normal to see people argue over intangible things such as a large following or number of likes, etc. And it is painful to see that the tares have also been sown into our field. We can no longer differentiate them from the wheat. The world’s definition of worth is always shifting so much that one day, you’re viral, and the next day, you are yesterday’s news. But the identity that God gives is steady, rooted in who He is and what He’s done. Fame might feel good, but it’s a shaky foundation for Christians’ identity.
Here’s how it can get tricky. I believe that there is nothing wrong with having a platform, especially if God can use it for His will, but when we start chasing followers to fill a void rather than follow God and sugarcoat it with “that might be my destiny helper, who knows”, we may be treading into idolatry. In our bid to not look like them, we’ve entertained more than enough excesses that nothing else distinguishes or dignifies us. “You shall have no other gods beside me” is a clear injunction in Exodus 20:3 to remind us that when likes start to give us confidence, we may just be swapping God’s approval for man’s.
Our Savior, Jesus also had a right to flex his influence and this is because everywhere he went, crowds followed Him and miracles amplified His name. Yet, we see from His life that He stepped down from glory and rather than building a name or a brand, He built a Kingdom where you and I now belong. Comparing that to today’s rave, it is a norm for people to use their influence for self-promotion.
However, the letters Paul wrote to share the gospel confirm my conviction that having a large following on social media platforms may be a blessing. But the real dilemma here is whether we are scrambling for followers to feel important or if we are using our power to represent our Lord, Christ. According to the Bible, Jesus teaches us that who we are and what we own or gain don’t define who we are. As a Christian, God should be the mirror you look into in all that concerns you. This is not to say that you should be like many of Jesus’s friends and followers, who had little to nothing.
Colossians 3:22- 25 NKJV says
[22] Bondservants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in the sincerity of heart, fearing God. [23] And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, [24] knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. [25] But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
This means seeking to do God’s will with a sincere heart is more valuable than seeking validation from people. Validation or people’s approval is fleeting, just as the applause of men is deceitful. This leads to a never-ending cycle of dissatisfaction, and the yearning to be associated with being “big” is insatiable.
Comparing yourself to others might make you feel unhappy and unsatisfied with your situation. “I can do better than that; my voice is better; I haven’t blown yet,” is a common statement you’ll hear. It’s over after I blow.” I assure you; the devil is the source of all these thoughts. The devil only pays attention to the frenzy to be noticed, recognized, and taken seriously, as well as to seek fulfilment and attention from sources other than God. One of his qualities is the satisfaction of self, or “I” (Isaiah 14:13–14). Lucifer sought more because he was dissatisfied with his position, and yearning for more precipitated his fall from grace and expulsion from heaven. Like Lucifer, the pursuit of status and recognition often leads to ruin rather than fulfilment.
Here’s the bottom-line question: “Where does my sense of satisfaction come from?”. “Am I being too ambitious with where I am?” or “Is my satisfaction rooted in Christ or tied to the transient attention of likes and follows?”. These are questions to reflect on.
As you seek God, ensure that your gaze is on Him and not on what is around you. The latter will serve for a time, but the first is eternal. Always keep in mind that your craving for recognition can pull you away from your purpose. Fame fades, followers can unfollow, and trends die. But your worth? That’s sealed. Galatians 3:26 calls us children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”