Freedom From Scrolling
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
Galatians 5:16–17
Someone once said they view things in three categories when deciding whether or not to allow it in their lives.
Is it inherently good?
Is it inherently evil?
Is it redeemable?
I don't think this system is foolproof, but it can be a decent place to start.
I bring up this three-question tactic because I have recently decided to move away from social media. However, while I think most social media is a cesspool, I do not think it's irredeemable. I know many good people who seek to be a light for Christ on their platforms and exert great effort to redeem their area of influence.
I should also qualify what I mean by "move away from social media." I have removed my personal account apps from my devices; however, I still share my art and creative efforts through my Christ Life Art accounts. To do this, I use an app that only allows me to manage those accounts with the ability to post, receive messages, and read and reply to comments. The key feature is that I no longer have a feed to scroll through.
So, why do this? Why not try and be part of the redeeming of social media on my personal accounts?
I'm going to get vulnerable and give you MY reasons. These reasons are not a prescription for everyone, yet I hope they may help someone else think through their social media use or struggles.
Discontentment
Over the recent years, God has been opening my eyes to see more precisely that the root of many attitudes and actions in my life stems from a growing discontentment that I have allowed to take root in my life. I have to address this sinful disposition as a vicious war. As I have pleaded with the Lord for help, one thing has been clear: social media is not good for me right now and maybe forever. Scrolling through the lives, events, and successes of others does little to encourage my heart toward contentment. As hard as it is to admit, it feeds my jealousy more than my celebration, which showcases the second reason.
Pride
I hope that one day, I can say that through the power of the Holy Spirit, I have wrestled my pride to the ground and dispatched it for good. However, today is not that day. I have seen its ugly face in my heart and life as jealousy and bitterness grip me through comparison. It has led me to question and forget God's goodness to me as I watch his goodness to others. This is foolish and sinful.
Time
Habits and triggers around how we spend our time can become ingrained quickly into our routines. After removing the apps from my phone, I quickly realized how trained I had become. Sit down, unlock my phone, swipe two screens to the right, and look for that blue icon with the F on it. The truth is, I could not break this muscle memory without removing the app from my phone. Even with it gone, for a few days, when sitting down, waiting in a line, or even when faced with a stressful situation, I would follow that pattern because my mind and body were trained to escape into the land of social media. These escapes would erode at my time, ten minutes, thirty minutes, adding up to hours in the day. I want more out of life than this kind of hamster wheel living.
Something I've learned in recovery, and heavily believe in, is that when removing a habit from our lives, we have to be active on two fronts: removing the habit and making an intentional replacement. So, where I had a habit in my life of feeding discontentment, showcasing my pride, and eating my time, I have chosen to replace it with focused time in my Bible, prayer, journaling, reading books by authors that can disciple me from afar to invest in my spiritual growth. I will put it towards conversations with my family and texting other men with whom I want to develop Christ-centered friendships.
Freedom is an interesting idea. The more God has taught me, the more I see the one who is truly free is free to restrain himself. With social media, the Spirit guided me to restrict my freedom to experience greater freedom from my sin and a deeper relationship with God my Father. And I can say that after a week into this restrictive journey, I already feel a more profound freedom.
Thanks for reading my reflections today, and I hope they may help you think about social media's place in your life.
Grace,
Shawn
