I have a new/old friend. We used to be acquaintances when our children were small. That was thirty years ago. And as our children grew apart, so did we. A few months ago, we reconnected and discovered our shared love of being in nature. Now we spend a couple days a month together hiking in Rothrock Forest. These are some of my favorite days. I love the nature we see and experience but what I love most is our conversation. From the time I jump in her truck until I drag myself to my car (notice the progression there-LOL), we talk of Jesus. Even as we hike, we’ve learned to stay more than a few steps apart as one of us may suddenly stop to more deeply discuss something from God’s Word. Occasionally we will rest at a campfire site so that we are not distracted in our conversation by slippery rocks or rattlesnakes. We are very different in some ways and sometimes we clash on issues but that doesn’t matter to us. We just love and accept each other based on our shared love of God and our desire to truly know His truth. I cherish this woman, her vulnerability, her honesty, her love. Clearly, she is a gift from God to me.
Our last conversation led to our culture and what is happening in the world and how it affects us spiritually. As I am, she is seeing the more subtle dangers of social media. I shared with her how I feel greatly conflicted in this area. I know that God has called me to write about His truth, to get His Word out there in its purest presentation. My conflict comes in that there are already so many voices speaking their version of God’s Word out there. I don’t want to be just another voice adding to the fray because I have determined that nowadays we take in so much information that we rarely have time or mental capacity to think deeply about anything. Yet, I know there is the need for truth in a world lost in deception and swept up in cultural concerns, even amongst Christians.
In Galatians, Paul shared his disappointment that they had so quickly departed from the true gospel, allowing influencers from the Jewish culture to enter disperse into the truth they had received from Paul through the Holy Spirit. To enter disperse means to break up and send in different directions. So the religious leaders were inserting human traditions into the foundation of spiritual truth and causing them to get off course in their faith. To dilute faith with works. To distract from the main doctrines of their faith. The term Christian Mingle came to mind as I read this-mingling worldly and Christian thought together. That made me giggle until I realized the gravity and prevalence of it in our world.
My daughter’s pastor has encouraged his congregation to stay off social media for the month of September and to spend that time allowing God to assess their spiritual health. That caused me to stop and consider my own social media practices. I have already greatly reduced my interactions with facebook. I don’t do Instagram or any of the others. But when I thought about not looking at facebook at all, I realized that it would be extremely difficult for me which is exactly the reason why I am going to do this. So this is my last post for the month. My blogs will still appear. My blog service automatically posts them there but as far as scrolling or commenting, I’m done for at least a month. In the past, I’ve cut out all outside voices and it has always served to cause me to hear God’s voice so much more clearly and to know Him in a much deeper way..
In the conversation about this with my friend, we acknowledged that instead of providing help, solutions or bringing peace, the loudest voices in our culture today mostly serve to increase uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. For each individual, peace and solutions can only be found in God. After all that has transpired and is still unfolding in our country, things are probably never going to be the same. It’s concerning no matter what stage of life you are in. And we need to know how to prepare to live in these new times. What we shouldn’t be doing is letting the fear and uncertainty guide our decisions. We can run on fear and stockpile food and supplies, homeschool our children, secure our investments, move to the country, fill the gun safe with weapons and ammunition, pack a go bag, or any other amount of activities but that does nothing to give us peace. Not that any of those things are wrong but if they are not God directed, they only serve to sure up fear and uncertainty. However, if we are alone with God and He tells us to do those very same things, there is peace and surety that comes along with it. Even if He indicated to us that things are going to get hard, we have the peace of knowing that He has already been where we’re going and that He is leading us in His provision for that time. What’s even better is that we know He will walk through it with us. How we react to news from the tv versus that same news from the voice of God is vastly different, at least it should be. You see, the news media and social media cannot help you in these things, they can only inform you (rightly or wrongly) about these things. But God is our help, our comfort, our wisdom, our peace, our protector, our defender, the one who leads us exactly where we need to be, who tells us exactly how we ought to think about and process all the information that comes to us. If we are not attuned with Him, if we are not more knowledgeable of His Word than we are of the state of the union, then we may miss some provision or instruction that we need and find ourselves in want or trouble.
In order to hear Him, we have to shut out all the other voices that are constantly shouting to us on facebook, instagram, all the other “grams” of social media that I’m not familiar with, the news media, and maybe even some of our friends. We need to disconnect from this world and reconnect with our God. He is the only one that has the perfect plan for your life. Only He knows what you need and when you need it. Only He knows what path you are to follow even if you are walking that path alone with others screaming in your ear that it isn’t the best one for you! I encourage you to examine your thought life and what you spend your time thinking about and seriously consider who has the loudest, strongest voice in your life right now. Is it the news? Is it Facebook? Is it your favorite Bible teacher/preacher? Is it the latest financial guru or life coach? Is it the CDC? Is it your spouse or your children? Is it the school system? Is it the banker or financial advisor? Just how loud is God’s voice in your life today? (Good indicators are your habits, actions, and yes, the all important words that come out of your mouth for “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”)
There may still be some blogs appearing on my facebook page but that is because my blog service is set to automatically post them but I will not be there. So if you comment, I will get back to you in October. I will still be using email, Messenger and text messaging so that I’m available to those who may need me. I know that some of you look forward to the photos of my forest excursions, but not to worry. I will post them when I return. And just to be honest, I will be on two facebook sites because my writing and piano classes are linked through there and I don’t want to fall a month behind when I’ve invested my time and resources in taking them.
So what will I be doing with my extra time?
-Spending more time in scripture. I have a Bible written in chronological order that is calling my name.
I will also continue my red letter journey (reading only the red letters in scripture). I can’t tell you how doing this has impressed upon me the power of the name of Jesus. I have a new sense of awe and a greater awareness of the power and privilege that has been given to me as a child of God. It’s helped me pick up some things I had lost along my journey these past couple of years.
-Journaling-I have found some wonderful sitting spots in the forest that I will be visiting. There’s just nothing better than being in nature and doing what I love to do best!
-Prayer-I’ve been revisiting what the Bible says about prayer and I am excited to put into practice what God has been showing me.
-Resting-Being still in mind and body. Something I don’t do enough of.
Listening-Letting the Lord talk about whatever He wants to and listening with an open, attentive ear.
So, have a good month! I will see you later!
Our last conversation led to our culture and what is happening in the world and how it affects us spiritually. As I am, she is seeing the more subtle dangers of social media. I shared with her how I feel greatly conflicted in this area. I know that God has called me to write about His truth, to get His Word out there in its purest presentation. My conflict comes in that there are already so many voices speaking their version of God’s Word out there. I don’t want to be just another voice adding to the fray because I have determined that nowadays we take in so much information that we rarely have time or mental capacity to think deeply about anything. Yet, I know there is the need for truth in a world lost in deception and swept up in cultural concerns, even amongst Christians.
In Galatians, Paul shared his disappointment that they had so quickly departed from the true gospel, allowing influencers from the Jewish culture to enter disperse into the truth they had received from Paul through the Holy Spirit. To enter disperse means to break up and send in different directions. So the religious leaders were inserting human traditions into the foundation of spiritual truth and causing them to get off course in their faith. To dilute faith with works. To distract from the main doctrines of their faith. The term Christian Mingle came to mind as I read this-mingling worldly and Christian thought together. That made me giggle until I realized the gravity and prevalence of it in our world.
My daughter’s pastor has encouraged his congregation to stay off social media for the month of September and to spend that time allowing God to assess their spiritual health. That caused me to stop and consider my own social media practices. I have already greatly reduced my interactions with facebook. I don’t do Instagram or any of the others. But when I thought about not looking at facebook at all, I realized that it would be extremely difficult for me which is exactly the reason why I am going to do this. So this is my last post for the month. My blogs will still appear. My blog service automatically posts them there but as far as scrolling or commenting, I’m done for at least a month. In the past, I’ve cut out all outside voices and it has always served to cause me to hear God’s voice so much more clearly and to know Him in a much deeper way..
In the conversation about this with my friend, we acknowledged that instead of providing help, solutions or bringing peace, the loudest voices in our culture today mostly serve to increase uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. For each individual, peace and solutions can only be found in God. After all that has transpired and is still unfolding in our country, things are probably never going to be the same. It’s concerning no matter what stage of life you are in. And we need to know how to prepare to live in these new times. What we shouldn’t be doing is letting the fear and uncertainty guide our decisions. We can run on fear and stockpile food and supplies, homeschool our children, secure our investments, move to the country, fill the gun safe with weapons and ammunition, pack a go bag, or any other amount of activities but that does nothing to give us peace. Not that any of those things are wrong but if they are not God directed, they only serve to sure up fear and uncertainty. However, if we are alone with God and He tells us to do those very same things, there is peace and surety that comes along with it. Even if He indicated to us that things are going to get hard, we have the peace of knowing that He has already been where we’re going and that He is leading us in His provision for that time. What’s even better is that we know He will walk through it with us. How we react to news from the tv versus that same news from the voice of God is vastly different, at least it should be. You see, the news media and social media cannot help you in these things, they can only inform you (rightly or wrongly) about these things. But God is our help, our comfort, our wisdom, our peace, our protector, our defender, the one who leads us exactly where we need to be, who tells us exactly how we ought to think about and process all the information that comes to us. If we are not attuned with Him, if we are not more knowledgeable of His Word than we are of the state of the union, then we may miss some provision or instruction that we need and find ourselves in want or trouble.
In order to hear Him, we have to shut out all the other voices that are constantly shouting to us on facebook, instagram, all the other “grams” of social media that I’m not familiar with, the news media, and maybe even some of our friends. We need to disconnect from this world and reconnect with our God. He is the only one that has the perfect plan for your life. Only He knows what you need and when you need it. Only He knows what path you are to follow even if you are walking that path alone with others screaming in your ear that it isn’t the best one for you! I encourage you to examine your thought life and what you spend your time thinking about and seriously consider who has the loudest, strongest voice in your life right now. Is it the news? Is it Facebook? Is it your favorite Bible teacher/preacher? Is it the latest financial guru or life coach? Is it the CDC? Is it your spouse or your children? Is it the school system? Is it the banker or financial advisor? Just how loud is God’s voice in your life today? (Good indicators are your habits, actions, and yes, the all important words that come out of your mouth for “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”)
There may still be some blogs appearing on my facebook page but that is because my blog service is set to automatically post them but I will not be there. So if you comment, I will get back to you in October. I will still be using email, Messenger and text messaging so that I’m available to those who may need me. I know that some of you look forward to the photos of my forest excursions, but not to worry. I will post them when I return. And just to be honest, I will be on two facebook sites because my writing and piano classes are linked through there and I don’t want to fall a month behind when I’ve invested my time and resources in taking them.
So what will I be doing with my extra time?
-Spending more time in scripture. I have a Bible written in chronological order that is calling my name.
I will also continue my red letter journey (reading only the red letters in scripture). I can’t tell you how doing this has impressed upon me the power of the name of Jesus. I have a new sense of awe and a greater awareness of the power and privilege that has been given to me as a child of God. It’s helped me pick up some things I had lost along my journey these past couple of years.
-Journaling-I have found some wonderful sitting spots in the forest that I will be visiting. There’s just nothing better than being in nature and doing what I love to do best!
-Prayer-I’ve been revisiting what the Bible says about prayer and I am excited to put into practice what God has been showing me.
-Resting-Being still in mind and body. Something I don’t do enough of.
Listening-Letting the Lord talk about whatever He wants to and listening with an open, attentive ear.
So, have a good month! I will see you later!
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