This past week I went on a fast with my church in the first annual prayer & fasting week. Our church is moving forward into so huge projects and it was a good way to launch these. Fasting from food is normally what folks think of but the church suggested those of us who couldn’t fast from food (I cannot with my job), could ‘fast’ from other things. I opted for a Facebook fast.
I knew that Facebook is a total time waster, but had NO idea just how much of my time is wasted there until I returned. I had logged out on my PC and phone so as to avoid alerts that might tempt me back. I missed SO much, like people’s dirty laundry about others including their mates, countless sexual indos, memes of zero importance, cute kitten videos, political crap that is already in abundance over a year before the election of the next president, pro-life/choice/marriage posts, decades old rumors going around about aliens/government intrusion/name it ____, in other words NOTHING of importance at all. The first 24 hours back on and I’m reposting, tagging, and passing on a few hundred pieces of useless information and STOP. I’m doubting that I want to continue it at all. The one post I did make of 14 hard core pieces of evidence about Noah’s ark and even my own father wanted to start taking that apart with logic (missing the fact that God is not bound by human logic) because everything must be ridiculed and debated on Facebook because some folks just have to stir up a fight.
I also noted that while I did have some prayer time in the past week, I did not pray as much as I should have, or use the time off Facebook as wisely as I could have. I did read an entire novel but, while entertaining (and rest IS important), it did nothing to further anything good in my life or the lives of others. In 5 days I’ve reached the conclusion that it is more than a waste of time, it is a time sucker! It eats up the time that is better used for important things.
Not one video game played in 5 days, and it had been about a week since I left Farmville 2 for the second time in 3 months. Another pure waste of precious time. Some day we all have to give an account before God of the use of our time, our words etc. I don’t really want to stand there explaining that I played 4 hours a day of Bingo Blitz and Farmville 2 when I could have used the time to pursue better things. Reading His word, helping tutor kids, napping (because rest is ordained), interacting with others, helping folks grow their faith etc. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the games, but balance is the key and I’m not real good at the balance side of things when it comes to those. I also have grandkids, a desire to write a book to inspire others who find their life in the swamp of sin that there IS a better way. What is it they say, garbage in, garbage out? Um yes, and too much of that is just trash filling the mind.
During that time I also realized that I check in on Swarm etc way too much. No one really needs to know everywhere I am at a given moment and what I am doing. It is time to dial that back. Being ‘mayor’ of any location does nothing to add value to my life but could be alerting people to my location that really have no need to know. I think I may be removing that one from my phone altogether.
This fast has caused me to take a big look at my time online and on my phone and realize too much time is spend with the phone in my hand (even when out with others instead of talking and enjoying their company the phones are all out and we’re all busy on them playing, gawking at videos etc). Time to put it DOWN. Unplug some more and step away from these ongoing distractions.
Yes, I learned that there is more to life than social media. Much much more.
