Week 5: Lower Your Nets: Give up Facebook

Give up Facebook for the rest of the year

This past month I noticed that I was always on facebook.  From the moment I woke up to before I went to bed, I was constantly checking facebook, posting my thoughts, and checking out other people's pages.

I'd been toying with the idea of giving up facebook for the month.  After all, I did for 100 days in 2012 where I worked on the Battlefield of the Mind devotionals.  My sister even mentioned last week that I should go on a social media fast.

This week when the Bible study leaders talked about giving up things to restore fresh vision, I rationalized (there's that word again) that maybe I would just give up facebook for the week.

No.  Give up facebook for the rest of the year, said the Lord

SAY WHAT???????

This is the scary part:  I didn't know if I could.  I really didn't know if I could exist without Facebook, twitter, or instagram for the rest of the year.  Facebook had become such an addiction for me that I didn't know if I could even make it.

The title of this Bible study is What happens when women say "Yes" to God. So I want to see what happens in my life when I say "Yes" 

So I did it.

I gave up Facebook for 2013

I didn't make a dramatic going away announcement.  I only told a small group that I was giving up facebook for a week (This was before I was all in).  After that, I simply deactivated my page and deleted facebook off of my phone.

Facebook is my portion

The main reason for giving up Facebook is I realized I craved facebook when I was lonely, bored, or felt empty.  This week during quiet time, the Lord revealed that HE wants to be my portion.  When I'm lonely, bored, or empty I'm supposed to go to Him and not facebook.

Facebook was also taking up too much of my time that I could be doing something more productive. Things like enjoying life, reading, and socializing with actual people.

Being Nosy

I admit I spent a lot of time on facebook being nosy.  I really believe you can find the answer to any question on facebook.  I found just became another way for me to intellectualize, try to figure things out, and rationalize rather than waiting on God to reveal his purposes.

I also think that being nosy on facebook led me to become dissatisfied with my life.  We begin to look in other folks yards to compare, criticize, and complain about our own situation. I admit that I've even used facebook to make myself feel better and more superior to those who I want to outdo.

Life without Facebook: Fresh Vision

It has been 4 days without facebook and I am still alive.  

Sure sometimes I still go to press the facebook icon on my phone, but I've also noticed I have gotten more tasks accomplished at work (don't tell my boss), I don't spend my free time surfing people's pages, and I don't look on people's pages to cloud my vision.

I feel that the Lord is asking me to learn to say "Yes" without first rationalizing and reasoning.  I "loved" facebook and I'm giving it up because he told me to.  I did not try to figure out why.  I just said "Yes" and deactivated.

I believe God wants to give me fresh vision in my life.  I've mentioned before that I suffer from gloom and doom thinking.  I think facebook may have played a role in this.  Looking at certain things, I would think "Well see...I knew it." 

Along with fresh vision, I believe the Lord is about to get it STARTED in my life.  It is SHOWTIME! The type of person I am, I would be posting about it every 5 minutes on facebook and inviting elements into my life and spirit that will just add confusion.

This has been the song this week

For Your Glory

I will do anything

Just to see you

To behold you as my King

Even give up facebook.  

Pray for me y'all...Just a little over 100 days left!