Enthusiastically, Dawn

I have been intentionally inactive on specific social media platforms for the past few years. I can’t remember exactly the date I signed off, but I can remember how I began to breathe easier. I still enjoy the ample extra room in my mindsphere (not sure this is an official word, but the space between my ears where thinking and everything else mostly originates). I used to be one who justified my social media use…but I am going to tell you something you might need to hear. Peace is a river not found in an algorithm, or on any platform at all.

At first I missed it, I did…but after a year or so, social media became as a distant landscape. One I know longer desire to return to, nor navigate this side of eternity, but only cautiously, and extremely minimally. Let me tell you why, and this might be a ramble more than an essay, so grab something yummy to sip and perhaps, go pull on your patience pants and slip away from the propensity to skim read. I’ll wait.

The reason I want to bring this into the light is because I have been off two of the biggest time...no scratch that-two of the biggest LIFE wasters, and time sucks created by mankind: Instagram, and Facebook for long enough to have a distanced perspective, a sense of objectivity. I find it interesting that when social media use is brought up, it’s the same thing as bringing up diet and exercise…which only reveals how insidious the power to captivate is in these mediums. Though I am only naming two, there are multitudes as you know. We have a plethora of poisons to pick from these days. Please supplement in your thinking for this ride whichever drives you…repeatedly back, or should I say draws you?

When I worked for 30 or so years in the field of fitness, as a personal trainer, and exercise instructor, never would one hear such incredible inaccurate versions of individual’s behavior regarding food and exercise than when the trainer was present. The same excuses were heard, and the same justification for choices were prevalent. As a trainer you learn to home in on where the inconsistencies lie to help the client overcome and adjust to hopefully work towards being healthier however they define it.

People are so good at deceiving themselves.

I only go on (social media of choice), because I have to to keep up with my friends.

I only cheat on my diet the weekends.

I have to do it or else I can’t share my (add whatever it is you need to share for whatever reason you believe).

I ONLY eat healthy foods.

I just use (whatever platform you use) to share the gospel and uplifting content.

I never miss a day at the gym. I never skip cardio. I never snack between meals. I always, I never, I only. Oh, what a tangled web of words.

I only use social media for business, to keep up with the so and so, I follow this great whatever person, the news- so I can pray…etc.

With the social media – I get it. I get all of it. I lived it. But the fact is unless you are incredibly self-disciplined, and also supernaturally empowered, there are forces working to manipulate you to make you do things in ways you cannot begin to comprehend. Do not be deceived.

The reality is every social media platform that exists exists to profit. The end. Of course this is just good business. But the insidious, under the surface delivery, and deliberate evil algorithms are something you can choose to avoid. But it will cost you. You will lose something.

A verse: For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life? Matthew 6:16 (CSB).

From where I am standing on the other side of the river, I see a lot of people chasing after the world on social media. They need to know all the things. Everywhere. All the time. Oh, they have such good reasons. The reasons are varied and many. But distracted souls aren’t always tuned in with God the way they think they are. And consumerism is a subtle deceptive wolf that comes in sheep’s clothing, wearing a suitably humble grin. It’s dangerous and not pretty. Content creation is where we are at in this brave new world…but I can’t help but wonder with all these lesser gods, what the One True Living God thinks. The ultimate Content Creator. Who created everything. Meanwhile all of his people, oh ever wayward we are…peering endlessly at our multi-shaped screens in all their glorious forms.

And I see Jesus, far off, watching, having none of this self-worship. Idolatry we see in Israel, and blind to its beautiful algorithm are we.

Did Eve recognize the snake before it struck her with his venomous lies?

Intoxicated we have become with the wine of this world. We keep drinking and drinking and thinking there are not consequences. We think we can handle our little idols. We think we have control. All the while, time is slipping away. The dash grows smaller for us to be present to the mist of life entrusted to us.

I have wondered, where is God in this. OH- I know, I can hear the staunch Christians justifying, always rationalizing. But I can tell you this…I don’t miss what I don’t know. There is beauty, freedom and peace in choosing to come away from all of it, and sitting instead, undistractedly, at last, and again and again with the One who offers eternity, and life abundant, not gross distortion and illusion. We are becoming blind to what is truly beautiful in our desire to know more, be more, see more, do more, have more.

God wants HIs people to be free and they are less so now than ever before. We look back and call Israel blind! Oh, friend, get that phone shaped log out of your eye. We are slaves to whatever masters us, whatever consumes our attention. Whatever we lust after and refuse to sacrifice to the savior’s hand. Oh, Lord forgive us our pride. Our blindness, our insensitivity. Our willingness to be complicit in such a great apostacy, and unable to even confess it to one another.

OK, so where does this leave us? You are thinking I’ve gone all judgy on you, but can you deny that you do not feel a twinge of anything stirring up truth within?

The biggest reason of all I stopped indulging in social media activity is because I believed and still do, that it makes hearing God harder for me. He becomes static in my ears, less clear. I am not willing to settle for static. I have a God, in Jesus Christ, who is willing to come near, by His Spirit. I am not willing to tell Him- one second, Lord- I’m making this excellent post on Instagram to glorify you. I am not willing to pause God to gain the whole world of knowledge available at my fingertips and lose out on the presence of my Lord. Not on your life.

I’d rather sit at His feet and look at the birds.

Selah.

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Thank you for reading this rant. I haven’t got it all figured out. But I am staring straight into the beautiful gaze of my Lord. My eyes are fixed on Him. May He keep them. May He keep you too, my friend.

Enthusiastically, Dawn