I was sitting in Political Science,
my Word document occupying half of the screen, my Pinterest page the other. On top of that, I was online window shopping,
checking my email, and refreshing my Instagram feed. All of a sudden, people
around me started to pack up. I felt myself slowly beginning to tune back into
reality, and realized that class was over. How many notes had I ignored? Did I
miss anything important? I walked back to my dorm, checking my twitter feed the
whole way. When I got back, I briefly entertained the thought of homework, but
got on Netflix instead. Soon, the West Wing, my newest addiction, was dull, so
I played a game on my phone while I watched. When even that wasn’t enough, I
opened a can of cashews and began snacking too.
I wish that I could say this wasn’t an everyday thing for me, but
that wouldn’t be true. I have ADD, so I am constantly searching for some kind
of stimulation. I never listen to more than half of a class lecture, and I
rarely get ten minutes into a TV show before I am reaching for my phone. The
day I was describing, last Friday, was pretty routine, until nighttime.
I am a night owl. Nights are my time to unwind. Late last Friday,
as I got home from being with friends, it hit me. In that moment, the weight of the past few months
came crashing down on me. What was I doing? It was like I could see myself from
someone else’s view: the way I had spent my political science class alternating
between taking notes and browsing the web until I wasn’t even taking notes
anymore. And how I didn’t make eye contact with one person on my way back to my
dorm I was too absorbed in my Twitter feed. Sad thing is, it took me having ten
seconds without distraction to realize I was totally miserable. I felt that I
was generally content, but if I really thought about it, I was disconnected
from reality.
I started crying, and then I broke
down. Feeling God pressing at my heart, I picked up my Bible. I opened it at
random, and started reading passages from Psalm 119. I read verse 105, a classic,
” your word is a lamp to my feet, and a
light for my path.”
I began to realize that I had
opened myself up to dozens of avenues for filling my constant need for
stimulation, neglecting the only One that can satisfy. I confessed to God that my
heart had strayed, and that I needed Him to bring me back. But that wasn’t
enough. God convicted me, and I knew that I had to get off of Pinterest and
Netflix until the school year is over. I felt a tug in my heart as I tried to
rationalize a way out. When I finally said aloud, “Ok God, I am off of
Pinterest and Netflix until summer. Empty me out, and fill me up with your
Spirit,” I felt relieved.
It’s funny how tightly we cling to things that are fleeting. When I
think about how hard it was for me to promise God to do something as simple as fasting
from two trivial websites for a month, I am ashamed. Sometimes, I think because
I am ADD, I feel the need to avoid even a second of down time, but that’s when
we truly engage with God. I have been going regularly to church and attending
Bible study, but that isn’t enough. While community is vital, so is time alone
with our creator.
For the next month, I am taking the time that I would have wasted
watching TV or re-pinning cat memes and spending it reading through the New
Testament. Since I am already pretty familiar with Matthew, I am starting with
Mark. I hope that by doing this, I can begin to understand the character of
Jesus. It hasn’t even been a week, and already I feel different. I don’t feel
as weighed down by the frivolous things I was spending my time on, and I feel
that God is helping me realign my priorities in a way that pleases him.
But I don’t think I am done stripping away yet. Twitter, Instagram,
Facebook, etc. These social media sites are great for communicating and staying
informed, but right now, they only offer distractions. I am realizing that the
point of my breakdown Friday night was not so that I could outline a couple
specific things to give up, but rather to overhaul my daily life. I am
realizing that abstaining from Pinterest does not give me license to stay on
Twitter during class, and that yes, Hulu is the same thing as Netflix. I am not
going to go on a rampage, deleting all of my social networking accounts, but I
am going to stop incessantly checking them, looking to them to provide anything
more than a few minutes of entertainment. I think this next month is going to
be a time of growth, where God is going to empty me of the idols I have built,
and fill me up with a better understanding of him. At least, that’s what I’m
hoping for.
I realize that Passover has ended and that Lent is over. But that
doesn’t mean it’s open season. There are so many areas in our lives where God
is saying “give that up, choose me instead.” I heard a verse at Bible study a
few weeks ago that has resonated with me:
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the
strength of my heart and my portion forever.” –Psalm 73:26
“My portion forever.”
I love that. As you read this, think about ways that you make other things your
“portion,” and give them to God. Over the next few weeks, ask God to empty them
from your lives, and find out with me how willing and able He is to fill them.