I’m just going to preface this by saying. Anyone that is participating this isn’t at
all meant to bash your choices. We all celebrate the holy season of Lent in our
own ways. Some chose to give up things, make sacrifices and try to better
ourselves. Anything you do to try to better yourself is never a bad thing. Good
luck and God bless.
I’ve seen a lot of my friends posting about giving up
Facebook for Lent and it got me to thinking, why am I on Facebook? I love that
it connects me to family and friends I have all over the world. I love that if
I want to send my relatives that live on the opposite coast pictures of the
kids it’s just one click away. If I want to say high to my best friend from
kindergarten, my college friends, just about anyone. I love that I can promote
my youth group events and spread the joy of the events we do in God’s house
with others. I love that I can let people know what our company is up to. I
could go on and on about all the great things it allows me to do. But now comes
the question if Facebook does all these wonderful things why are people giving
it up?
So now I’m thinking of the negatives:
#1. There are times, a lot of times, that I am staring at my
phone and I should be listening to my kids, my loved ones and friends. But I’m
wrapped up in what’s going on Facebook or Instagram or just about any other
social media I have at my finger tips. The problem however is not Facebook,
it’s my lack of self control. It’s my fault for not putting the phone down and
paying attention. My solution is not to get rid of the resource, my solution is
to learn self control. To focus on bettering myself. I want that temptation
there. I need it there. Without it how can I learn?
#2. So your best friend just went to Hawaii. Your neighbors
to Florida. Your child’s teacher to China. And you’re thinking “Geez that’s
totally not fair!” Because Facebooks gives you a way to share every detail of
your life you get to see all the great things people do every day. It’s not so
bad if you are doing them too. But what if you’re stuck behind a desk and
haven’t had a vacation in a year, and even if you did take time off you
couldn’t afford to go anyway? The problem isn’t Facebook, the problem is ENVY.
My solution is not to remove Facebook, it’s to work on my own heart. Be happy
for people who get to do fun things and appreciate the little things in your
life that bring you joy as well. Life isn’t a competition about who has the
best vacations or the nicest car. It’s about enjoying every experience you have
to the fullest.
#3. My kid just won the lead in the school play! I just got
a raise! My parents just bought me a brand new car! Pride. We all brag, we can’t help it, it’s
part of human nature. And with a few strokes on a keyboard I can tell 1000+
people about how great I am. Is the problem Facebook? Or is the problem my
pride? Am I spending too much time trying to make others proud of me or trying
to prove I’m better than they are? I need to focus on being more humble.
#4. Your friend changes her relationship status. You see a
picture of one friend hanging out with another friend without you. You see your
coworker is at the beach but she called into work. Your impulse is to gossip.
To tell people what you read and react to it. Is Facebook the problem? Or is
the problem your gossiping and spreading information. Instead of reading these
things and feeling the urge to pass them on I need to focus on myself and my
own life. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, as they say.
So in conclusion all you people will continue to see my ugly
mug on Facebook and Instagram. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to spend my
lent trying to better myself. With or without Facebook I need to focus on making myself a better person.
Have a great Lent everyone!
