Keeping up with the Jones’

I recently took a 40 day cleanse from Social media and the main reason why I did this was because I found myself being dependent on social media and not my God. The first thing I did in the morning when I woke up was reach for my phone and instantly go to the Instagram app, and when I was done with that I would head on over to Facebook. I would poison my mind in the morning and it would take away from what I really needed to be doing. Instead I was lurking on social media trying to figure out what everyone else was doing with their life when I should be focused on the one who gave me life.

At first it was innocent, but then I started realizing I would start looking at other peoples lives like man, I want that. She’s doing big things in her ministry I want to do that too, or man she does awesome makeup, I wish I could do makeup like that. Even worse? I depended on social media to check on my loved ones or people that I haven’t spoken to in a while. I’d be like “I wonder how so and so is doing” and then I would go to their profile to see how they’re doing. The problem with that and what so many others do is that instead of picking up the phone to see how someone is doing, I’m going to their social media profile as if that’s really going to tell me how they’re doing. Let’s face it; no one is REALLY going to put how they are doing on social media (well some of ya’ll put too much though lol).

People are going to put happy things, things that make them look like they have it all together. Problem with that is that you’re not fooling anyone but yourself. You want so badly to find approval from people in this world instead of getting approval from the one person that will never let you down, the Lord.

You get a new car and the first thing you do is run and post it to social media instead of praising the one that made it possible for you to get that new car. You get a new house, new job. Etc. and you run to tell the world so you can hear things like “congrats, Great Job,” because you’re trying to keep up with the Jones’. Don’t believe everything you see on social media ya’ll! Everybody is going through something internally and instead of competing with each other on who has the better life; focus on the one who created it. Focus on bringing each other up, not down.

It’s ok to get influenced, just be careful you don’t find an idol in the process. Watch who you follow too, if you’re trying to get closer to the Lord and trying to do better, you probably should not follow the twerk team. I can’t tell you how many times I have to hit the unfollow button on those who post ignorant twerk videos, or those inappropriate memes. I’ll just stop there because I can go on. The other day my husband was on my Instagram on my phone and he said “All I see down your news feed are fitness, makeup, and pastor wives pages,” that made me feel great. It’s ok to get inspired and these are things that inspire me. I just have to be careful not to make these things my idol or become envious.

So instead of grabbing that phone every couple hours, put that phone down (or for me I have to put it on silent or turn it off) and pick up the bible to spend time with God.

Love,

Mrs. Luster