mmm ... our ever-present fixation on social media.
Isn't this a touchy subject! For if you're reading this post, this blunt reality has probably crossed your mind more than once ...
I . am . spending . way . too . much . time . online.
Reading, writing, commenting, posting, designing. Linking, pinning, sharing, liking, texting. Trolling, clicking, uploading, periscoping, friending. Emailing, troubleshooting, submitting, responding, connecting.
The sky's the limit ... and it's all so inviting. We yearn to be in community and our adrenaline pumps happily as we welcome all these cool creative invitations into our lives!
Until we wake up one day and realize that we've slowly but surely gotten so invested in doing life online that we've neglected the living of it outloud and in-person.
What this means for each of us will vary. There's no black or white on this, no right or wrong. What's a splendid social media match for one could be a hot mess for the next.
A few days ago, a long-time online friend wrote, 'I was reflecting this morning on how much my online friendships mean to me. I know without a doubt that God has called me to lay down writing for now, and maybe for good, but I believe He called me to write for a season mostly for how it taught me that we really are meant to do life together. I think I had a different picture beforehand on what that meant or how it should look.'
I'm wondering if the invitation here is for discernment.
To be still {and screen-less} long enough to hear what God's whispering to each of us about how we use our creativity, our passion, our yearnings, our focused energy, and our very limited hours. To reveal what we're searching for that we seem to be finding in our online travels. And to figure out if the community we really need to commit to is right in front of our noses, right around the corner, right in our own living room or backyard.
And then go from there.
Laura Bagby writes, 'When you are serious about serving the Lord, He will pinpoint those things in your life that are threatening to take that place of worship that should be reserved for God alone. God is jealous for our affections; He will not take second place in our lives ...'
What would it look like to lay down our Isaac?
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sharing screen time with
