“NOT THAT I SPEAK IN RESPECT OF WANT: FOR I HAVE LEARNED, IN WHATSOEVER STATE I AM, THEREWITH TO BE CONTENT.

I KNOW BOTH HOW TO BE ABASED, AND I KNOW HOW TO ABOUND: EVERY WHERE AND IN ALL THINGS I AM INSTRUCTED BOTH TO BE FULL AND TO BE HUNGRY, BOTH TO ABOUND AND TO SUFFER NEED.

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME.” – PHILIPPIIANS 4:11-13

Sometimes inspiration strikes in the most unsuspecting way. I have been wanting to write about social media but never could find how to phrase it. I saw this picture while scrolling Instagram which reminded me of Romans and triggered all kinds of word vomit.

It has been on my heart so heavy lately how much time I waste on technology.  I gave up most music and TV a few years ago and never looked back.  It’s such drivel and mindless that I can’t understand how I watched it.  Entertainment is an escape.  It’s a distraction from what is important.  If God is the center of your life why would you need to escape??  I never wanted to be a person who lived on their phone, but I have slowly become one.  I have to check my phone.  Why?  What is with this need to always be connected?  I have become dependent.

I mean, sure I look up regular, every day stuff or read ‘important’ things, but is that living?

I feel like this post has a lot to do with my previous one about “Always Striving“.  Were people always this antsy?  We are always pushing medicine and alcoholism seems to be growing at a rapid rate.  Drug addiction is becoming more common.  We are normalizing mental illness instead of living free in Christ.  We weren’t meant to live depressed and on medicine.  Society is trying to legalize morality, yet that is a heart issue that nobody wants to confront.  If we confronted our hearts we would have to change and who wants that?  Jesus and the reason we are here would be undeniable.  We wouldn’t be able to live for ourselves because we would realize “self” isn’t enough.  We would realize we can’t do it on our own.

“AND LEST I SHOULD BE EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE THROUGH THE ABUNDANCE OF THE REVELATIONS, THERE WAS GIVEN TO ME A THORN IN THE FLESH, THE MESSENGER OF SATAN TO BUFFET ME, LEST I SHOULD BE EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE. 8FOR THIS THING I BESOUGHT THE LORD THRICE, THAT IT MIGHT DEPART FROM ME. 9AND HE SAID UNTO ME, MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THEE: FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS. MOST GLADLY THEREFORE WILL I RATHER GLORY IN MY INFIRMITIES, THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST MAY REST UPON ME. 10THEREFORE I TAKE PLEASURE IN INFIRMITIES, IN REPROACHES, IN NECESSITIES, IN PERSECUTIONS, IN DISTRESSES FOR CHRIST’S SAKE: FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN AM I STRONG.”
– 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10

“WHAT? KNOW YE NOT THAT YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST WHICH IS IN YOU, WHICH YE HAVE OF GOD, AND YE ARE NOT YOUR OWN? 20FOR YE ARE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE: THEREFORE GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY, AND IN YOUR SPIRIT, WHICH ARE GOD’S.”
– 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20

My grandma will be 91 this month and she has never been on social media or any kind of technology and has survived.  I mean, she watches her movies, but is ok with being truly alone.  She doesn’t have another identity that lives on the internet always checking to see if someone has texted her or commented her back nor looking at other people’s lives.  She doesn’t have to google things every 5 seconds for answers.  We have information literally at our fingertips 24/7 yet we seem to be getting dumber.  She lived.  She ran a successful business and was too busy doing that to be worried about what others are doing.

I have a love/hate relationship with social media.  On one hand it can be fun. It’s a lazy/creative way of keeping in touch with all kinds of people and seeing glimpses of their lives.  It feels like you’re a part of it in a way.

On the other hand it’s the perfect place to acceptably brag about yourself and paint a picture of the life you want to promote whether it’s reality or not.  It’s also a false idea of socializing.  We crave real life relationship as that’s what we were created for.  We were created to help each other and really be there for them.  Social media is the false idea of being connected yet we are lonelier and less content than ever.  We are constantly one upping the other and can’t wait to post good news that people we don’t even know can “like” our posts.

We constantly see people doing things and maybe wish we were included.  As a Christian it can sometimes be lonely simply because I don’t relate to anyone anymore.  It’s like living as an alien.  God has weeded out a lot of people in my life because they were only going to being the world with them and it would weigh me down from continuing the most important relationship …with Him.  Last week I was getting down about “not having friends”, but that is a lie.  I do have friends.  God has provided people in my life and they come out of nowhere.  Literally.  It’s so freeing to have godly friendships, no matter how few, because you automatically understand each other.  There is no war or conflict because you are living for the same purpose.  The lie of no friends was setting in and getting real, though.  I was praying about it and God provided a situation to make me realize “I am content.  God does provide.  They are all around me if you would stop having a pity party and pay attention.”

Would you stop freaking out??

I don’t have the same interests as a lot of people.  I mean, besides being a Christian I am an introvert.  What a crazy combination.  I have fun baking alone in my kitchen.  😛

I know there have been studies linking social media with depression and it is obvious even if there were none. I know in my personal life I am not exactly where I want to be and I don’t have my heart’s desires yet. It’s a lot harder to wait when you see person after person living out your dreams and it seems you’re not remotely close.

“Why not me?”

I try not to spend too much time on it and only have Instagram (which I don’t use often) for posting cake pictures and Facebook where I post cake pictures and talk about my grandma. 🙂

I only follow Christian/ bible verse, motivational quotes, bakeries, business ideas, and travel accounts on Instagram. I recently noticed that I have been getting agitated and remembered a quote “Unfollow anything that makes you wish you had a different life”. Last night I was in a bad mood and reevaluating my life when I did just that.

While I may not be where I want to be and am not able to travel yet I went and deleted all kinds of “life I want but not there yet accounts”. Why do I want to follow them?  This is my life.  It’s fun to read of adventures and things you could do one day, but when you’re pining for a different life because you’re stressed out in your current one that’s not healthy.

Jesus set up the life I have right now.  I got here because of choices I have made and learning to live content in the season God has me in.  I am exactly where I am supposed to be learning what I am supposed to be learning.  Life ebbs and flows.  I certainly wouldn’t want another person’s troubles if I examined their life closely. I remember another quote, “if everyone threw their problems in a pile we would all grab ours back”. That is the truth. We don’t really want another person’s life, but the idea of it.  See, I know all of this, but slowly thoughts creep in and all of a sudden you’re having a crying fit because of jealousy.

“BE CAREFUL FOR NOTHING; BUT IN EVERY THING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD.

AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH PASSETH ALL UNDERSTANDING, SHALL KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.

FINALLY, BRETHREN, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE TRUE, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE HONEST, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE JUST, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE PURE, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE LOVELY, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE OF GOOD REPORT; IF THERE BE ANY VIRTUE, AND IF THERE BE ANY PRAISE, THINK ON THESE THINGS.

THOSE THINGS, WHICH YE HAVE BOTH LEARNED, AND RECEIVED, AND HEARD, AND SEEN IN ME, DO: AND THE GOD OF PEACE SHALL BE WITH YOU.” – PHILIPPIANS 4:6-9

“HUMBLE YOURSELVES THEREFORE UNDER THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD, THAT HE MAY EXALT YOU IN DUE TIME: CASTING ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM; FOR HE CARETH FOR YOU. BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT; BECAUSE YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL, AS A ROARING LION, WALKETH ABOUT, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR: WHOM RESIST STEDFAST IN THE FAITH, KNOWING THAT THE SAME AFFLICTIONS ARE ACCOMPLISHED IN YOUR BRETHREN THAT ARE IN THE WORLD.

BUT THE GOD OF ALL GRACE, WHO HATH CALLED US UNTO HIS ETERNAL GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS, AFTER THAT YE HAVE SUFFERED A WHILE, MAKE YOU PERFECT, STABLISH, STRENGTHEN, SETTLE YOU. TO HIM BE GLORY AND DOMINION FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN.” – 1 PETER 5:6-11

What a slap in the face to God for wanting a different life. It’s saying what He has provided and blessed us with isn’t good enough. It’s telling the creator of the world and savior of my soul that He doesn’t know what He is doing.  He isn’t good enough.  He doesn’t know what is best for me.

“EVERY GOOD GIFT AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE, AND COMETH DOWN FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHTS, WITH WHOM IS NO VARIABLENESS, NEITHER SHADOW OF TURNING. OF HIS OWN WILL BEGAT HE US WITH THE WORD OF TRUTH, THAT WE SHOULD BE A KIND OF FIRSTFRUITS OF HIS CREATURES.

WHEREFORE, MY BELOVED BRETHREN, LET EVERY MAN BE SWIFT TO HEAR, SLOW TO SPEAK, SLOW TO WRATH: FOR THE WRATH OF MAN WORKETH NOT THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.

WHEREFORE LAY APART ALL FILTHINESS AND SUPERFLUITY OF NAUGHTINESS, AND RECEIVE WITH MEEKNESS THE ENGRAFTED WORD, WHICH IS ABLE TO SAVE YOUR SOULS.

BUT BE YE DOERS OF THE WORD, AND NOT HEARERS ONLY, DECEIVING YOUR OWN SELVES.  FOR IF ANY BE A HEARER OF THE WORD, AND NOT A DOER, HE IS LIKE UNTO A MAN BEHOLDING HIS NATURAL FACE IN A GLASS:  FOR HE BEHOLDETH HIMSELF, AND GOETH HIS WAY, AND STRAIGHTWAY FORGETTETH WHAT MANNER OF MAN HE WAS.  BUT WHOSO LOOKETH INTO THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY, AND CONTINUETH THEREIN, HE BEING NOT A FORGETFUL HEARER, BUT A DOER OF THE WORK, THIS MAN SHALL BE BLESSED IN HIS DEED.” – JAMES 1:17-23

He rescued me from a terrible place and brought me further than I could ever imagine, yet the flesh flares up and reminds me where He has me isn’t enough.  Flesh vs Spirit are always at odds with each other.  They cannot agree because they are two natures.  The redeemed, spirit man has been freed from the shackles of the flesh, but we are stuck in this body fighting until we enter our new heavenly body.

Covetousness is a sin. We wouldn’t know what sin was without the law (Romans 6) and it’s obvious why it is. I don’t have what I desire yet and when I constantly see that others have what I want jealousy creeps in.  I feel crazy because I am ecstatic for them and at the same time am upset.  Why would God reward that behavior though?

God has a plan for my life.  I have my own timeline that doesn’t involve someone else’s.  I need to constantly surrender to that.