Comments

Why do we feel so compelled to comment on everything we read? I am "friends" on facebook with some relatively famous people - not that they'd ever be able to pick me out of a crowd or ever read anything I post. But I feel connected to a few people with a bit of celebrity status. 
One of these friends posted a question yesterday about, well, basically nothing. Within an hour, she had 181 comments. Then she posted another status update about how many replies she'd received, that post got an additional 40 or 50 comments.
I get it, i find myself commenting on things that I only have a minor opinion about. Things like my Nook Color eReader. The article had nothing to do with me, I just happen to love my shiny toy.
I comment on comments that disturb me, comments I think are funny. I comment on articles about things I know nothing about, and articles I know a lot about. I think I just want someone to agree with me, or maybe argue with me. Maybe I just want to be heard, even if what someone hears is silly.
I think we all want validation in one form or another. With the prevalence of social media, we crave it even more. Validation can be almost immediate and while that sounds like a good thing, I'm not so sure. 
When we seek validation from others, we are saying "love me" "understand me" "look at me" and at the heart of it all is a five year old child looking for attention. We all know that children crave attention. They just want someone to notice them. If they can't get the warm and fuzzy attention everyone desires, they'll settle for negative attention. I've never met an adult that doesn't understand this concept when discussing children. But do we apply it to ourselves? To other adults?
Look at our entertainment industry and you'll get your answer. We want to be heard to the point of self-destruction. 
My last song was good, but now I need to go to rehab. (feel sorry for me)
My last movie was number one for two weeks, I need some cocaine. (celebrate with me)
My first nine wives were all tramps, but number ten is going to be the one! (love me)
I'm not getting the offers I used to, maybe if I put myself out there more - I'll start doing full nudity. (look at me)
I'll start partying more. (surround me)
I'll date more guys/women. (fulfill me)
I'll leave my wife/husband. (miss me)

While there may not be semi-nude pictures of most of us in a national paper, sometimes our Facebook status and tweets and comments scream just as loud "Someone Love Me!!"

There is only one that will ever love you the way you deserve to be loved. Just one, but He loves you with an unexplainable, undeniable, passionate, jealous love. 
Sometimes, that is really hard to accept. 
Sometimes that is really hard to feel.
Look for people in your life that accept you as you are, even when you avoid Facebook like the plague. Even when you don't feel like you have anything worthwhile to tweet. Even when you don't think you can take another day of your life. 
God has placed people in your life that will give you just a glimpse of what His love is all about. When you find those people, hang on for all you're worth, but never forget that they are people, just like you. 

They are not a reflection of your value, they cannot fill that void, they cannot ever validate you.
That is a task set for God alone.