On September 13th, God told me a little secret. He told me that part of the 'issues' I was dealing with internally had a lot to do with Facebook. Are you laughing? It does sound kind of humorous, but hear me out. A lot of my time was being spent keeping up with what was going on with other people and keeping other people up-to-date on me and it had become an addiction - yes, I said addiction - for me. When God placed this little thought in my head, it really made perfect sense. The things that others were going through, babies, marriage, new jobs, etc, had nothing to do with where I was in my life. However, I had somehow made it all about where I wasn't and where they were. The truth is, I'm where I am for a reason. God has a reason for everything and His timing is always perfect. We can tell ourselves differently when we REALLY want or desire something, but this doesn't change the truth. So, this began my journey. No Facebook for the rest of the year. I decided after the 2nd day that I should probably keep track of how not logging in has opened my eyes and changed my heart. I should also add that this was not an easy decision for me, as quitting any addiction is hard, but I trusted God and I know He will bring me through to the other side.
Day 1: I must say, it was harder than I expected it to be. Checking Facebook had become like second nature to me. When I woke up today, I read my devotion and it was about James 15:1-5. Very fitting I thought, because James 15:5 says “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." I updated my status for the last time this year with this verse. I knew I couldn't go on this journey with my strength, only God's.
Day 2: My mother often sends me Tuesday Tips by Dr. Zimmerman. Today's was very inspiring as it addressed taking responsibility. The basic gist was that if we aren't going to do something, who will? Why do we always wait for someone else to do something and not do it ourselves? I'm as guilty as the next person. The most successful people in life self-motivate and self-manage themselves. I wrote those words on a post-it and stuck it on my computer monitor at work. I don't want to forget it.
Today I had a realization that I often get so excited about telling everyone else about what I read, heard, or did that I don't let it sink in for myself. It is nice to not have to worry about telling someone something today.
Day 3: The devotion for today was entitled "A Lesson in Listening." I mean, could it be more fitting? I have always had trouble with listening quickly. Someone will give me direction and before they have finished I'm already thinking about how to do what they are telling me about. To my chagrin, it happens with God too. I may only hear half of what He is saying because I start worrying about how I can't do what he has told me. This Facebook thing was no different. I immediately thought, God...how can I not log in to Facebook? I have to do things for the band I manage and for work. Those are responsibilities! You don't want me to lack on my responsibilities, DO YOU? I immediately felt a peace and God telling me...I will take care of you. Trust me. Seriously, calm down. So, I did. I'm calm. I have a peace about it.
Day 4: "6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7 Be patient and WAIT for the Lord. His ways are always best.
Day 6: Facebook is not even an afterthought for me anymore. The journey is actually getting easier.
3 comments:
I just typed a whole comment and got an error - I hate it when that happens! I loved this post, I have often wondered why I waste so much time on Facebook. This got me thinking about taking that time and using it to do something meaningful (like read my bible!). Maybe I'll join you in trying to spend less time on FB. Thanks for sharing and challenging me to think about this.
It is something I have struggled with for quite a while. I kept thinking nah, I'm not on it THAT much...or God wouldn't tell me to do something like that, it's only facebook. But indeed, He did. It is getting easier everyday and I think I may not go back when the year is over; at least not like I was. With that being said, I think it is a good way to keep up with people and keep up communication with relatives or people who live in a different city. It is when it becomes addictive that causes the problem with me.
It has definitely given me more time to focus on the things that really matter.
Social networking is definitely a distraction for me and while some of that is positive I have had a few negative encounters which have made me consider getting rid of it all!
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