My friend and Ministry Director Ruth, recently asked me what I was reading and I was embarrassed to admit that I had lost my love for reading books. Seems like I start a book, get to the first chapter, lose interest and never pick it up again. I have so many of these casualties on my book shelf.
I decided to make a change this summer and picked up a book that she handed me, #struggles Following Jesus in a Selfie-Centered World by Craig Groeschel.
The subject of this book is the influence and control that technology has on our lives. It highlights our addiction to our devices, the resulting dissatisfaction and idolatry that this creates, and how we must and can regain control of our use of social media for the glory of God and for our good.
The author starts with the topic of contentment and how we compare our lives to our friends’ Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram posts and how this leaves us with a nagging and constant feeling of discontentment. “Never before have so many people had so much and felt so dissatisfied.” He breaks down envy into three types, material/financial, relational and circumstantial. Comparison and envy are more dangerous than we realize. James 3:14-16 describes envy as unspiritual and demonic.
Social media has changed the way we interact with each other. A litmus test of how we as Christians must love each other is the example of Jesus washing his disciples feet (John 13:1-17). It is “hard to wash someone’s feet with a phone in your hand.”
The meaning of the word “friend” has evolved and it can mean someone you may never meet IRL (in real life).
The meaning of the word “friend” has evolved and it can mean someone you may never meet IRL (in real life).
Facebook “likes” give in to our desire for instant affirmation - “we are living for likes, but longing for love.”
Craig also discusses the phenomena of the “selfie” and our struggle with idolatry. We have become a selfie obsessed culture. You can take a picture of yourself, use filters to fix red eye, zits, erase your second chin and present a filtered self to the world. We are able to put the perfect person out there and hide the real us from everyone else.
Craig also discusses the phenomena of the “selfie” and our struggle with idolatry. We have become a selfie obsessed culture. You can take a picture of yourself, use filters to fix red eye, zits, erase your second chin and present a filtered self to the world. We are able to put the perfect person out there and hide the real us from everyone else.
Another aspect that I had not thought of was the desensitization of our minds. As we see more images of tragedies we get desensitized. “The more we see pain in our social media feeds, the harder it is for us to care each time we are exposed to it.” Compassion comes at a cost, and the ability to engage without interacting with others can cause us to care less and less. We can text, chat, tweet, post, and pin without looking someone in the eye.
One section that was particularly convicting to me was the topic of “nomophobia” - the fear of being without a mobile device or beyond mobile phone contact. I can totally relate to this one. I have a sense of panic if I have left home without my phone.
This book turned out to be a sobering read for me, because I saw how addicted I was to my devices without even realizing it. Perhaps this is the reason why I cannot stand to read a whole book beginning to end. My mind has got used to bite sized information, and I prefer staring at my devices rather than going through a book.
The author has an easy style of writing and he admits to going through the struggle himself. I also like that he does not advocate staying away from technology completely, but using it wisely and not letting it master you. He has some practical tips at the end.
The author has an easy style of writing and he admits to going through the struggle himself. I also like that he does not advocate staying away from technology completely, but using it wisely and not letting it master you. He has some practical tips at the end.
Craig Groeschel, founding and senior pastor of Lifechurch.tv has many scriptures to show you how you must keep your eyes fixed on Christ instead of glued to a screen, but I am encouraged to read further and see what God’s word says about idolatry in order to have freedom in this area of my life.
All in all a good read, that will probably get outdated soon, before the next addiction comes along.
On another note, I am glad Ruth asks me challenging questions - The bible tells us that: You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 (The Message). I am promising to get the dust off more of those books on my shelf this summer and maybe give my phone a rest.
On another note, I am glad Ruth asks me challenging questions - The bible tells us that: You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 (The Message). I am promising to get the dust off more of those books on my shelf this summer and maybe give my phone a rest.
I had to laugh at myself for living out some of those things, and chuckle as I read this on my phone.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joslyn, for sharing your gift of blogging and inspiring me to consider this topic.