“Why did you delete your Facebook?”

I had that question asked of me so many times. It was a close second in the category of “Most-Asked Questions This Past Month” only to have the crown snatched away by a related question: “Did you block me on Facebook?”

Social media needs no introduction. It has weaved its way into the fabric of every part of our lives. We post what we’re doing, when we’re doing it so that everyone on our friend list knows. We post about our favorite things in order to spread opinions. We use it to plug (sometimes shamelessly) our bands, organizations, small businesses and -- oh, I don’t know -- maybe an article we wrote.

Facebook in general has truly redefined communication. Just recently, I had a former classmate from my days at

preschool find me and get in contact with me. I was in disbelief at how awesome it was to have just a simple conversation via Facebook with someone I hadn't had contact with in over a decade and a half--the last time we saw each other, we were still single-digits in age and it blew me away that we were able to reconnect. It is a powerful tool for communication and keeping in touch with people, whether you live far apart or whether "real life" just gets too busy to see people all the time. I truly feel like I'm still connected and a part of the lives of the people I know on Facebook, and that for me is such a blessing. For those with an entrepreneurial spirit or a creative talent, Facebook is a great way to broadcast your endeavors with the goal of earning new clientele or admirers.

However, as someone who has struggled with depression and anxiety issues, it became apparent that staying on Facebook was becoming downright unhealthy for me. The things that everyone began posting--from photos to statuses--all seemed to trump what I was posting. It became a competition. I needed the most funny status, the amount of likes that would best a friend, and it had to seem like I was having the most fun out of anyone, or else I would look at what my friends were posting and ask "Why am I not as fun as my friends?" It became more about creating an online persona and not reflecting my actual self. When the struggles became harder, it was a lot easier to just look to Facebook in an attempt to make myself feel better, but in reality comparing my life to others just made it worse.

I deleted the account on a spur of the

moment feeling, after looking at a friend's post and reading into his wording: What did he mean by that? I got worked up over a social media post and realized I was putting too much weight on the posts I was reading. I was finding my worth in social media, and that's not truly where my worth lies as a human being. My worth lies in my faith--in a God who knows, loves, and cares about me even through my struggles.

Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV) states, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

This verse acknowledges the lack of worth a sparrow has to human eyes; they were sold at the equal amount of two for a penny. I, for one, barely notice or acknowledge the birds around me. However, God knows when even just one dies and acknowledges it. The God who created all things... how powerful is that? And if he can acknowledge a sparrow's death, He can acknowledge us as well... in fact, he knows all the hairs on our heads, he has them numbered and tallied! We are worthy in God's eyes, even despite what we may see and that is an encouragement and blessing for me to understand.

My worth as a human being does not come from social media, or the amount of likes a post gets, and neither does yours. God loves us and sees our worth. I find my worth in showing others the love of God by reflecting it. I've experienced it firsthand. I want to be a lantern in the world and I see potential in doing so through a social media platform. A love for writing is something that God has blessed me with and I want to use that gift more openly--to spark conversation and share those conversations on social media.

What I've come to understand these past few weeks is that what I had going on was not a social media problem but a me problem. It was an issue that I was finding my worth on social media. It was an issue that I allowed Facebook to dictate my mood or how I perceived others, and that is a challenge that I need to work on. I've felt challenged by my faith recently and led to talk about some difficult things and Facebook is a platform that allows many wonderful options for sharing these discussions and perhaps having a deeper impact.