Click Bait
Have you ever scrolled through FB or the magazine aisle in the grocery store and saw a headline that drew you in?
I’ll be honest, I get sucked in all the time! Headlines can be misleading. Not that the news would ever say anything that is not true! Wink, wink. In order to get you to click a link or watch a story. Headlines are getting crazier! Nobody would look further if the headline just said what the story was about. The crazier the headline is, the more intrigued the reader will be.
Here are a few headlines that caught my attention!
Headline – Ebola In the Air: A nightmare that could happen!
The WebMd searches went viral (no pun intended) that day! Don’t cough; someone might think you have Ebola!
Headline -Killjoy Pope crushes Christmas nativity traditions.
The story was actually about the Pope questioning the accuracy of dates of the Christmas story. Booooring! In my mind I imagine the Pope is crushing a nativity baby Jesus in a fit of rage! Where is the link to the YouTube video?
Headline- Dying for a coffee: How too many lattes could lead to an early grave.
Nooooo sweet nectar from heaven! I love coffee! If I might die, then I have to read this!
Headline- 10 deadly foods you probably have in your kitchen.
What?? Have I been poisoning my family? I have to know what these foods are!!
Just as the media abuses the click bait strategy, so does the enemy. The devil’s job is to figure out what he can put in bold at the top of your story that will mislead you away from your purpose. If you let him, the enemy will sit at the editor desk of your life. He arranges things in a certain way to get you to click on a gripping thought that doesn’t tell the real story!
What headline did the enemy put at the top of your story when you were young?
Did he tell you that because you were abused, that you are worthless? Did he convince you that nobody loves you?
Now you see your loneliness as a headline. The enemy will get you to do things that symbolize love without ever really receiving any substance of it. Maybe He can convince you that you will never be a good mother because your mom abandoned you. He will print in bold that your mother left, so it reminds you everyday. The devil is a liar!
You don’t get to control your story, but you do get to choose your headlines! You are not the author of your story, but you are the editor! The editor is actually the one who chooses the headline that will get the most clicks. You have editorial authority over everything that comes in your life! Don’t write your headline according to the pain you felt, write it according to your purpose!
Your headline may read: They hurt me!
This click bait leaves you bound to this moment in your past.
So change your headline so that it now reads: I have life lessons I have learned from this!
Why submit your story to the devil and let him be your editor? Change the way you respond to your story. When you know where your life is headed, no amount of pain can stop your progress!
We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
Blessings,
Jen Christensen