What kinds of feelings do you get when you scroll through social media? Is it joy seeing the beautifully put-together family pictures or does your heart ache because you are waiting for the positive of the two pink lines?
Are you often tempted by mouth-watering desserts while scrolling through social media, leading to a loss of self-control and a sudden trip to the store to buy the ingredients? Or do you find yourself envious of a friend's weight loss success with a program that is out of your budget let alone willpower or motivation?
Does jealousy strike your mind because your house doesn't look like something off HGTV with all the yard fixtures, modern chic decor, and a pool in the backyard?
Or do you have feelings of rage and anger because you don't understand why people are the way they are? OMGosh, I can't believe she would post that for everyone to see?! Don't they know that Hell is a real place? Which leads to judgemental thoughts about others when I need to be worried about the log in my eye. See Matthew 7:3-5.
If you are like me, it could be a combination of all of the above, and the scrolling quickly becomes a sin-filled addiction that feeds negative emotions. Don't think the Devil won't use something like social media to make you second guess the goodness and provision of God. Or to get you feeling emotions that are not from God. God gave us emotions, but are the thoughts that come behind those emotions actually true? The emotions that emerge from us due to our scrolling, will begin to attach to us, and it's not always in a positive way.
Allow me to make an observation, social media is so loud about the sins of the world!
It frightfully amplifies it!
There’s something about social media that sucks us in and makes us think the untrue thoughts that our life is less than average and that we deserve more than we already have been blessed with. But that’s not the case. It’s a false perception of reality.
Can I tell you a little secret about my own personal conviction?
When I scroll on social media, a woman I don't like emerges,
and she is full of sin, hate, envy, jealousy, pride,
and I know this hurts God's heart.
The words of Paul flood my mind:
"I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it.
Instead, I do what I hate." Romans 7:15
This woman is out of control with her emotions, which then trickles into her self-perception, her relationship with her husband, and kids, and even puts up roadblocks that hinder a deeper connection with her Heavenly Father. I tend to feed the fruits of my flesh, not the fruits of living by the Holy Spirit as I scroll through social media, feeding my addiction and emotions. I don't want to be the one that feeds my fleshly desires which lead to sin. I want to do what will feed my relationship with my Savior, therefore, I need to stop feeding my flesh and start feeding the Spirit living inside of me. I need to relinquish control and hand it over to the Lord.
(For more on the fruits of the flesh vs. the Fruit of the Spirit, please spend time in Galatians 5.)
Can you relate to the addiction and the FOMO (fear of missing out) of mindlessly scrolling on social media?
Can I ask you a couple of questions? Like I really want you to ponder and think deeply inward about these:
1. What is social media doing to you? Is it helping you? Or maybe, just maybe is it hindering you and turning you into a woman you don't like or even recognize at times?
2. How much of your child's life are you missing out on by scrolling uncontrollably on your smartphone?
Do you want to know how smart your phone is? It will answer this question for you, just go look at your daily screen time. That is the hours that are ripped away from your kids that you will never be able to get back.
Those hours haunt me and leave me with a deep pit of guilt and remorse for the time I have lost out on all because of FOMO and the thief of comparison. My phone is a time thief, and we can't get more time than what the Good Lord above has already planned for us.
3. How much money have you spent on materialistic things you have found in your scroll because you want what someone else has?
Your smartphone again is pretty smart; bank apps will tell us exactly where we are storing up our treasures and where our money is going.
In order to avoid being the person I dislike, I must stop scrolling. However, I cannot do it alone. I have tried numerous times. Scrolling for me has been just as addictive as smoking cigarettes. I couldn't quit smoking on my own, I sure can't stop scrolling on my own.
Thank God I don't have to fight this temptation & addiction on my own! Praise Jesus!
Need help? Me too. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
God is quick and always faithful to remind me that I could have that brand new shiny truck and camper duo or a $250k+ house, but then I would have to give up giving as much as we do. And I am not willing to quit giving and being generous as God has called my husband and me to do, just to feed my flesh and selfishness. Those things are flashy desires, not needs. The Holy Spirit gently nudges me back into rightful thinking that my sacrifice will bring kingdom rewards that guarantee eternal satisfaction and not short-term pleasure.
While I understand that someone can use social media for the good, it brings out the worst in me, and I must flee from it. I want to use my social media presence for good. To bring God the glory by praising, proclaiming, and promoting His Goodness, Love, and Mercy. And I cannot do that well from a spirit of sin that wells up deep within when I scroll.
God has been working on humbling my heart and has done so with teachable and convictable moments, and I thank Him for that. He is giving me the heart surgery that is so delicately and desperately needed.
How do I stop the scroll without giving up social media altogether? Is it possible? YES! Let me show you how to use Social Media for GOOD and for kingdom purposes and not allow it to control us or feed our flesh.
I utilize the spirit of self-control through the power of prayer. When I am tempted or catch myself mindlessly scrolling, I exit out of TikTok or Facebook and pray for God to give me something better to do. He shows up every time.
I give myself 10 mins to interact and at the first thought or feeling of sin creeping in, I revert to #1.
Delete the apps off your phone if #1 and #2 don't work. Then, when the thoughts to redownload them pop into your mind, go back to #1 and #2.
If you strive to PPP JC like me (Praise, proclaim, promote Jesus Christ), post, pray, and push away your phone. Another PPP 😉 It's like the PPE (personal protective equipment) of the Spiritual world.
Remember, Facebook shows you what it is like to live a fairy-tale lifestyle, and if you are a follower of Christ, you should strive to live a godly-kingdom-focused life. You won't necessarily find that scrolling. However, you will find it by flipping the pages of our God-given Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth... the Bible. So girl, put down your phone and
𝙎𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33
The temptation to get sucked into the negativity is a hard one to fight, but remember who fights your battles with you and has already won. Be on the winning team of positivity and praise! We get the choice with every second of our scrolling to live for sin or live for God. I would encourage you to read through Galatians 5 and pray for God to reveal if you are feeding the flesh or spirit by scrolling.
Ladies, let's rise up, control our emotions, and get some time back with our precious gifts from above! Who's with me?!
𝓟𝓻𝓪𝔂 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓶𝓮
Father, thank You for who You are Lord, I am grateful that You give me a way out when I am tempted to do and feel things that don't please You. Lord, I am sorry for the times that social media has taken over my flesh and made me feel things within and react in ways that displease you. Help me, Lord, when I am weak, and give me your strength. Lord, I pray for the self-control that comes from the spirit to help me fight the temptation to scroll. Help me to die to my flesh so that I am able to feed and nourish the Spirit from you that is already within me. Lord, I love you and am thankful for your grace, mercy, and love.
It is in your Powerful and Precious name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.
Do you need prayer? Please do not hesitate to reach out, don't be ashamed to ask. I believe in the power of the intercessory prayers that the body of believers is gifted with.
Use me to pray for you:
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