Notes of Faith February 3, 2024
Turn Off the Tech
Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
— Galatians 1:10 ESV
I started using Instagram on May 7, 2011, to be exact. Though many of my friends were active on social networking platforms, I was not a savvy social-media user. But the idea of keeping a real-time photo journal to share with friends and family? This was something I could get behind. After one weekend, I was hooked.
But what began as memory making became a compulsion to share. Gabe noticed before I did. “You don’t need to capture everything; just enjoy the moment!” he said. Kennedy, my daughter, saw it too and would ask, “Can you stop looking at your phone?”
In the spring of 2018, I felt God whispering that I should fast from social media. I dismissed and defended my actions. It’s no big deal, God. It doesn’t mean that much to me. But I woke up a few weeks later feeling an urge, a conviction even, to press pause for a season. I couldn’t wait another day.
In the spring of 2018, I felt God whispering that I should fast from social media.
When I jumped off social media, things changed. First, I started dreaming again. On the back porch, journal in hand, new ideas and thoughts flooded my mind. Second, I was sleeping better than ever, my mind and body catching up on much-needed rest. And third, my passion for learning returned as I read more books, listened to more podcasts and talks.
My worth is found in the loving gifts God offers in the “right now”.
A month into this fast, I drove around a bend in the road and gasped at the sky, ablaze with pinks and reds. Normally, I would have pulled over and angled for the perfect shot. That’s when God reminded me of this truth: “You are worthy to receive something beautiful, and you don’t have to share it.”
What began as a break from the constant churn of social media became a fundamental lesson in worthiness.
I came to see that my worth is not found in approval “out there.” It is found in the loving gifts God offers in the “right now,” in the intimate invitation of a sunset.
When I did reenter social media, it was with caution. I didn’t want to lose the slower pace of life I’d found or my longer attention span and diminishing need for public approval. I can see the flicker in my Kennedy’s eyes as she shares something from her day, and I give her my whole attention. I catch our son Cade’s goofy smirk when he’s up to no good. By resting from social media, I’ve recovered the lost art of paying attention, and somehow, that has brought me a sense of peace and tranquility.
Consider taking your own social media fast. Leave your smartphone in a box by the front door when you walk in after a long day. Limit the number of texts you send in a day. Give your mind, soul, and body the rest they need — for your sake and for the sake of those around you.
Excerpted from A Surrendered Yes by Rebekah Lyons, copyright Rebekah Lyons.
Have you even thought about how much time you spend with tech stuff? Has the Spirit prompted you to slow down or stop and fast for a period of time? If you have created a habit, it will be more difficult to put down, but you might appreciate the reward as the author of this book says she did. How about giving it a try for just a few hours or a single day? You will never know the spiritual fruit that could come from it until you try.
Pastor Dale