Well,
the fast from media and technology is drawing to a close! Having decided that
the last day of each month will be a neutral day to relax and regroup before
starting the next fast for the next month, today was my last day! I thought it
might be good for me to summarize a few things that this month has taught me.
First, I found that since I didn’t have TV or social media, I was more aware of
everyone around me and therefore more aware of how I could serve them. In me,
TV and social media fostered laziness both physically and mentally. In my spare
time I never thought of anyone but myself, and therefore never did anything for
anyone but myself (Ouch. This was hard to admit. But it’s true!). Being so
saturated in media causes both laziness and apathy, both of which are forms of
what I like to call spiritual poverty.
However,
being free from media and technology this month has enlightened me to that
laziness (and self-centeredness) and begun a change that hopefully will carry
over into my day to day life. For example, before school started back and all I
did all day was sit around and watch TV, I found that I WILLINGLY cleaned the
house for my Mom and didn’t feel bitter about it while I was doing it! Usually,
I know that Mom expects me to have the house clean when she gets home, and I’m almost
always bitter about it because it cuts into “my time” to watch TV or surf the
internet (sorry, Mom). But this month not having TV or social media has made me
realize that no time is “my” time, and ALL the time that I have should be time
spent loving my “neighbor” as myself and seeking out ways that I can serve
those who are around me. Social media is so self-centered that most of the time
it blinds us from seeing the needs of those around us.
This month I also struggled with
whether or not to delete my social media accounts altogether. However, in “The
Seven Experiment” study guide, Jen Hatmaker explains a little bit about the
relationship between social media and being “in the world but not of it.” She
points out that as Christians, we have to be proactively intelligent about what
we allow into our minds (especially when it comes to provocative advertisements
and such). We must always be seeking out the truth. Jen says, “Truth turns us
into wise teachers, not simply avoiders.” You know what’s better than avoiding
social media? Being smart, speaking and seeking out truth, and engaging the
culture where it’s at in order to leverage it for the good of the kingdom.
Will I be setting boundaries for the
amount of time I spend using social media/technology after this month? You bet
I will. But will I be more aware about leveraging my social media for Christ
from now on? You bet I will. When it comes to TV and media, instead of
“checking my brain at the door,” as Jen puts it, I will be intentional about
seeking out what is true, noble, and righteous. I pray that God continues to
convict me and teach me about how to use well the time that He grants me each
and every day. I pray that for you, as well.
Lord,
teach us to seek first Your Kingdom in all that we do, so that Your name might
be magnified in all the earth!
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