Every single morning it was always the same. The sunshine would poke through my blinds forcing me to wake up. With my blurry eyes, I would scan the side table for my phone. I would sit up a little and begin my unhealthy morning routine. First Instagram, then Facebook, then Words with Friends, and then Pinterest. Luckily, I never got into Twitter. I just needed to see all the posts and pictures that I had missed while sleeping. What cute face did her baby make today? How adorable is that cat video? Article about weight loss, heck yeah!
This would typically go on for an hour or more. Man, I am so ashamed to even admit that. After wasting an hour in bed reading up on other people's lives, I was exhausted. Seriously. I felt mentally drained. My eyes were a little sore and I felt so unmotivated to do anything else that day. I noticed I had become so lazy and was falling way behind on my household chores. Why was I letting myself become a slave to social media? Why did I care so much about what every one else was doing?
I started to think about a sermon we recently had at our church about idolatry. These two verses stuck out in my mind:
- Deuteronomy 8:19, "It shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish."
- Exodus 20:3-4, “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth."
I was allowing social media to become my idol. Therefore, I was forgetting God. Instead of waking up in bible study and prayer, I was engrossed in all the latest happenings of fellow acquaintances. No wonder why I was left feeling empty and drained. Now I am not saying that social media is a sin and all who partake will have consequences. I am just saying that for me, in particular, I was realizing that it was slowly becoming a very dangerous thing. Instead of wasting my morning with endless news feeds, I could have been filling up on Jesus and actually getting so much work done before my kids woke up.
It has been almost one month since I have canceled my accounts on Instagram and Facebook. I also deleted the apps from my phone, which were the main culprits. I don't know about you but I rarely get on a computer anymore. I use my phone 90% of the time for everything from recipe searches to calorie counting. So having all these social media apps right there at my fingertips was dangerous for me. I took a break from Words with Friends but my Pinterest account is still up and running. Pinterest was never a real problem for me and I use it consistently as an online recipe binder.
Since I have been off of social media, I have noticed big changes in my life. First, I feel more energized in the morning and have been getting a lot more done in my house. Second, I have actually been able to read a whole book! I know that might sound crazy but with the hectic life I lead plus my sad addiction to social media, reading was just a no go. I love to read and I have a list of books so long, it is intimidating. So having time to read every night before bed has been amazing. I also feel less stress in my day to day life. I think on some level, I was beginning to compare my life to others. How has she lost all her baby weight already? I want a new house, too! Do I not do enough for my kids? How does she find time to look that good every day? Endless questions and mentally putting myself down for NO reason. The only thing I should worry about is my own life and my own family. I know that I may wear sweatpants too much and may or may not have forgotten what I look like with my hair down, but I'm happy! My husband is amazing, my children are just the best, my house is tiny perfect, and we are all healthy. I seriously could not ask for more.
Will I stay away from social media forever?? No, probably not. It's just like my favorite chocolate cake from The Cheesecake Factory that is crazy bad for you (1,300 calories for one slice)! It would be detrimental to my health if I ate that everyday but every now and then it would be just fine! Ooh, now I really want a slice of that decadent cake! Anyways, stay focused Brianna! If you are feeling kinda empty and noticing that you are way too attached to your phone, maybe you should try a 30 day social media cleanse. Seriously, it might be the best thing for you. It has helped me tremendously and I hope it will help you! Always remember that our God is a jealous God. He loves you and wants you to love Him with all your heart! If we are putting anything before Him, then maybe it is time to rethink whatever it is and start putting God first. Amazing things will happen if we always put God first.
Have a blessed Day,
Brianna
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