Navigating the Noise: Life Advice in the Age of Social Media

In a season saturated with endless checks and tips “how to be productive,” “what productivity looks like,” “how not to feel lazy” the noise can drown out clarity. This is especially true for college students trying to follow Christ in the midst of world-shaped expectations. So how do you survive the flood of life advice and live purposefully in every area of life?

Dead and Alive in Christ

Paul writes to believers in Colossians 3:1–4:

“If then you have been raised with Christ… you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

This teaches that at conversion, our old self died with Christ. We were raised into new spiritual life. Now, the challenge is not ignoring ambitions, friendships, or future dreams, but reorienting them around the truth of our identity in Christ.

One Guiding Principle

Colossians 3:17 gives you a practical anchor amid conflicting calls:
“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

That single statement can become your compass when living in the world while being dead to its king.

Three Questions to Ask About Anything

1. Are you trusting Jesus for strength?
   In 1 Peter 4:11, Paul reminds us that speaking and doing in Jesus’ name means relying on His strength.

2. Are you doing it the way Jesus prescribes?
   The Bible may not detail your college major or romantic path but it gives wisdom about character honesty, humility, purity, diligence, mercy, generosity, zeal. This is how we pursue.

3. Are you doing it for His glory?
   1 Corinthians 10:31 sets our goal: whatever we do, let it make Christ look great. If your choices don’t point to Him, they miss the mark.

Why This Truth Matters More Than Productivity Hacks

You don’t need instructions for every minor decision. That tidal wave of advice from influencers, career guides, friends can lead to anxiety and confusion. But you only need to master one rule:

Trust Him for the strength.
Do it His way.
Do it for His glory.

When this becomes your lodestar, everything else sorts itself. Paul himself said that for decades of ministry, this conviction protected him from distraction.

Living Fully Alive Without Drowning

As one survey found, 60% of college students frequently feel overwhelmed by success messaging. Another recent study notes that nearly 70% of young adults struggle with making decisions especially under pressure. But when you measure choices by Jesus’ name, His kingdom, and His strength, those pressures lose power.

You don’t need to silence every voice. You just need to evaluate: does this “advice” align with Jesus’ strength, method, and purpose? If not, let it pass you by.

Success Defined Differently

So when someone asks if you should care about grades, career, relationships, or spiritual disciplines you can say "Yes", but differently. You ask:

• “Can I do this in Jesus’ name?”

• “Will it be done in His strength?”

• “Am I doing it by His way and for His glory?”

If any answer is “no”, then that path isn’t the right one not because it’s worldly, but because it’s misaligned.

Wrapping It Up

You don’t need to know everything. You only need to know this one truth deeply. Let Colossians 3:17 be the filter that saves you from drowning, not the checklist that wears you out.

You exist and everything exists for one reason: so that in everything, the Lord Jesus will shine. If you align your words and deeds with His strength, His way, His glory, you will succeed: no matter what the world calls success.

If this helped you breathe clarity into the chaos, share it or subscribe to our newsletter for more reflections that bring peace in the swirl of advice.