I mean just look at it. It has the word "fear" in it. Fear is not from God.
Boom.
I'm preaching to myself here, too. But even as a wretch I get to write and that's some good grace, my friends.
So, I'll say that I do believe there are many underlying issues to FOMO that when left as seeds in the soil of the soul, can be watered into twisting, turning vines--choking and suffocating the heart.
Lack of confidence. That's where I'll begin. FOMO is lack of confidence that where the Lord has you is exactly where He wants you to be. We are not made to be everywhere; that's why God is the only Being who is omnipresent. That's why we trust in Him and not ourselves to "be with us always to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). That's why there are promises that say if we are to believe in Him to guide us, "He will make our paths straight" (Proverbs 3:6). This is basic gospel. This is necessary truth.
A lot of times these verses are seen to apply to large decisions we have to make. Which is totally true. I do not know how in the world I would be able to make weighty decisions without the guidance of the Spirit. However, these verses hold true to our everyday lives as well. Those mundane decisions that seem so simple can sometimes be just as important. Keeping in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).
How we choose to spend our time is often times a reflection of the heart.
Christian community. What a beautiful, beautiful thing. Solitude. What a beautiful, beautiful thing. As an introvert, I love both. Absolutely love them. In different ways. At different times. For different purposes. Obviously you don't have to be an introvert to appreciate them both. But for me, I cannot have one without the other. I cannot. It is a hard balance to achieve. But it is a balance that can changes everything and makes life real and full and rich.
Henri J. Nouwen said, "Solitude was where Jesus listened to God. It is where we listen to God. Solitude is where community begins." How true. As faithful followers, we have to know when to retreat from the craziness of the world. We have to know when we have outdone ourselves socially in order to refuel ourselves spiritually. We have to step back, listen to the Lord, spend time with the Lord, cherish the Lord. But we cannot stay there. Then we can go out into community, refreshed, renewed, filled with the Spirit, overjoyed, ready to love, good news on our lips, beyond ourselves, bliss.
We must have confidence in the One who can do everything to know that we cannot do everything. We can't be everywhere. We can't be with everyone. Beware of that Instagram envy. Beware of promoting that. The little things. Again, preaching to myself.
But really, friends! Trust in the Lord. Rest your soul. Hide away in Jesus (Colossians 3:3).
The help. That's what's next. Like a wise friend always tells me, "Awareness is 95% of the battle" (if you follow me on Twitter, you may laugh at this). But really, once you are aware that you need to step back, what do you do and how do you do it?
The Holy Spirit. Yes. This verse, as popular as it is, holds such a sweet, sweet truth for us in a nice little hyphenated word that may get thrown under the radar a bit:
"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7
Self-discipline. The Spirit gives us self-discipline. Praise the Lord.
Some verses say "self-control," "a sound mind," or simply "discipline." All are applicable here.
When we are filled with the Spirit, impossible things happen. Hearts are changed and eyes are opened. We are empowered to make decisions we could never dream of. Our weary selves are awakened, and the Word of Life becomes a raging fire inside of us. Revelation. Clarification. Resolution. We experience the glory of God. We feel it in our bones. We cannot be apathetic to self-discipline when the Spirit is in us, because He will compel us to rearrange everything in our lives that we can in order to bless the Name of the One who gives us life.
The Spirit helps us fight FOMO because the Spirit helps give us self-discipline.
I would venture to say that many Christians still aren't quite sure what the Holy Spirit actually does. A lot of times it is drilled into us that He gives us words to speak when we are sharing the gospel or that He helps us overcome temptation. And these things are totally, totally true. And I praise the Lord for this truth.
But beware that it's not always so linear. It's not so formulaic. It's not always trust in the Spirit--> things work out. There are so many different things that can get thrown into the equation. Heart issues. External pressures. Fear. It is a battle to truly relent to the Spirit. It is messy. It is difficult. It is grief-filled. It is dangerous. It is reputation-crushing. But it is worth it.
The Holy Spirit is quite frankly the most creative force I have ever experienced. It blows my mind. Really weird decisions start popping into your head. Things get "different" when we say no to that movie with friends because we know our time should be spent somewhere else not quite as glamorous, like with an old, depressed friend who's fallen away from the faith. Glory sneaks into those situations, unexpectedly beautiful, a simple sweetness. Or when we know that going to that worship concert will just reaffirm our need to be where everyone else is--it's okay to step back. Or to take some time to clear up that jealousy you've been pushing back in your heart for so long. Or to simply spend a Friday night at the feet of Jesus, weeping over the joy of the mercy you've found in Him. To worship. That's okay. No Instagram pictures, tweets, or Facebook statuses will tell you that. But it is.
There is wisdom in managing time well; it's not always overrated. It can truly glorify God. Please see that this is not a legalistic, uptight plea. I love to do things with people...so I do them. Don't go lock yourself in your room or feel guilty about spending time with friends. Do it. But be aware that there are limits, and know that you can trust the Spirit to guide you through those limits.
There is freedom in this, folks. Freedom in the confidence of the Lord to guide every single step we take, to lead us exactly where we're supposed to be. And sometimes that means we are doing what everyone else is doing--we aren't missing out! And there is joy there, too. But FOMO, when we let it get too far, can be crippling. It can ruin you; it can rule you.
"In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." Ephesians 3:12
May the Lord reign over our hearts.
Living and preaching the gospel in all situations, wherever we are.
And being empowered to do so.
Praise Him.
May the Lord reign over our hearts.
Living and preaching the gospel in all situations, wherever we are.
And being empowered to do so.
Praise Him.
