First off I want to say a resounding THANK YOU to you guys for your incredible support of my announcement from Friday. Your emails, comments and overall excitement are such gifts to me, and it was just the boost I needed to get past the fear and start really working on this book. I love you guys!
When I look at today’s post I must admit it doesn’t seem exceptionally bold. Most people out there probably really do take breaks from social media on a regular basis and are probably extremely blessed by it. For me social media is a massive part of my job, so allowing myself to take some time away was not done fearlessly. Surely the world would stop turning and I would be the last woman on earth to know anything.
Yesterday in church we sang Build Your Kingdom Here by Rend Collective Experiment, a song that I have loved for several weeks now. I was just so excited to engross myself in the music that I didn’t realize until I actually started singing that I only knew a few of the lyrics. Then these lines flashed up on the screen:
We seek your kingdom first
We hunger and we thirst
Refuse to waste our lives
For you’re our joy and prize.
Tears sprung into my eyes, and if you know anything about me you know that I’m practically a walking waterworks. I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing because not only are those words beautiful but they define how I long to live. The part that really got me, though, was the line, “Refuse to waste our lives.” I said it in my little video on the side bar and I mean it: I really do love social media. It brings people together in ways that were never possible before. It helps create relationships that are lasting and it allows those of us who aren’t neighbors to still live and speak life to one another. However, when this gift of social media becomes a god then the only thing it does is cause me to waste life.
As with all things social media is not meant to be a god. It should not become central to our lives, and it should not become the very foundation of how we live. Sadly enough that’s the exact road I find myself building when it comes to social media at times and because my job requires a need for followers or fans that can be an all-consuming topic at times. I suppose this move to fast from social media for a full day seems a little silly or like it wouldn’t teach me much, but on the contrary it taught me a lot:
- that I have a lot of time, but don’t use it wisely;
- that I have a lot of passions, but don’t follow after them;
- that I can take time away and it won’t kill me;
- that rest, even from the things we enjoy, is good for us;
- that social media is not evil, but when I let it take over my heart then that engagement can be sinful;
- that I miss living the kind of life that makes social media exciting;
- that I want to live an Ephesians 4:1 life – a life that is worthy of the calling I’ve received.
As a result of this really valuable lesson I’ve decided that there are ways I can limit the amount of time I spend with my nose in my phone/laptop/computer. The day after I fasted from social media I did the things required by my job, then set a timer for 3 hours. I didn’t touch my phone or anything else for those 3 hours, then checked in on a few pending things and set another timer. It is seriously amazing to me how much simpler and fun life is without that time-suck that’s so readily available!
I don’t know if fasting from social media is a realistic practice for most people who want to live boldly, but I can promise that it’s hard to truly LIVE boldly when my mind is being consumed by all things online. I purchased a random clearance book at Barnes & Noble the other day entitled Uppity Women, and while it was more of just a fun read the underlying theme was that these women throughout history went after what they wanted with passion and drive. And for me to be that woman, the one who pushes herself to be the woman God made her to be, my focus is to be on the Lord and his call for my life, and nothing more.
I love this post, its so crazy when you take time off from something that consumes so much of your life. Thats how I feel when I finally refuse to take my computer home from work. I love you so much sister!!
I love you too! I used to try to keep Nate from taking his work computer home all the time with Spyder because it would literally just consume him!
This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently. I find I use the “I have to because I blog” line as an excuse to justify the massive amounts of time I spend on social media sometimes. I think a fast would do me a world of good. I especially think I need to fast when I find myself playing the comparison game–whether it’s at a personal level (look at how much they get to travel–look at their nice house, etc) or a professional level (their blog is exploding, they just got a site redesign, they’re writing a cookbook). Both are dangerous to my soul and I know cause jealousy and discontentment within me. Instead, I want to be thankful for what I have and be able to rejoice with my friend’s successes. I think keeping the amount of time I spend in check would help with that. Love the timer idea!
So far the timer has been working great! I just like having a time out from it all, you know?
Recently I took the Facebook app off my phone. I limit myself to checking it on the computer once a day or so. It’s taken a little time to get used to it, but now, after a month or so, it doesn’t have the draw it once did. I feel so much more free to enjoy life and not like I’m missing out on others.
I’ve thought about doing that too Rachel! I’m glad to hear that it’s been a good move for you; I think I’m definitely going to be moving that direction!