Hello, my name is Jennifer… I’ve been clean for about 10-hours… I watch TikTok’s.
I know!!! It’s amazing, and I’m not proud of it. Yet another distraction to add to the list of things competing for my attention. Like, for real, if I think of all the nonsense, that I knowingly ingest, it’s quite the embarrassing list of guilty pleasures. I’ve got:
Naked and Afraid - this, has me believing I can survive in the wild. Why? No clue. I’d honestly tap out on the ride into the jungle when the first bug hits me in the face. No cool monologue, just a simple slap on the side of the vehicle, and an aggressive waiving of the arms to take me back to civilization.
90 day fiancé, (of all sorts) - It’s a train wreck I cannot turn away from, again, I’m not proud.
Counting On - It balances out the 90-day show… it is, what it is, I’ve been watching this family for years so I’m invested now.
The news - probably the most entertaining of all the shows I watch. My favorite, is my local news. The anchors aren’t as polished and they “wing-it” often, so I really get a kick out of the awkward pauses and ad-libs they do. As for national/international news, I ingest a potpourri of sources, because I’ve discovered that humans and networks alike ALL have agendas. So, if I take in a variety of information coming at me from varying media sources, I end up with a much more complete picture of events and can disregard a lot of hyperbole.
Why the confessions… well, I know I’m not the only one who seeks out distractions. I think in the world we’re in, with all of it’s flaws, we venture out into the sphere of mindless-entertainment to escape both the mundane and the tumultuous. When reality is difficult, an escape to the simple, is inevitable. So, we’re so busy “escaping”, I must ask, when, are we being intentional with our time? When, are we blocking out time to be still? Time to turn to scripture? Making time to fellowship and hangout with friends or family? Are we being intentional, or are we allowing our exhaustion to be what dictates our time?
Think about it, is it easier to scroll on your phone, or make a phone call? Scrolling is one-sided, a phone call requires something from you and the person you’re reaching out to. What about watching a show vs. playing a board game with friends or your family? Again, the show is one-sided, where playing a game with family and friends requires something of you and them. Well, what about opening scripture and really studying the word, why is that so difficult? That doesn’t require too much from us, or does it?
Diving into scripture may seem one-sided but it’s not. See, scripture is a double-edged sword, it both, heals and wounds, it exposes, and sears, it promotes change and brings conviction… all of these things require something from us, action. Are we at a point where if we don’t see “it”, we don’t have to change, or it doesn’t really exist? Have we grown so complacent that the challenges to our habits, or to our comfort-zones, found in scripture are more of a deterrent than an encouragement? I’m obviously addressing my brothers and sisters in-Christ. Where we at, guys? Are we allowing the distractions of this world to rule our hearts? Are we inviting strife and animosity into our lives, instead of peace and long-suffering?
I’m asking these questions of myself too, look at my list of caca-TV I’m so willingly plopping in-front of. I’m not beyond reproach in this area, and I’m not proud of that. There is a time and place for healthy distractions; however, those healthy distractions become unhealthy vises when we sacrifice the important stuff in order to secure more of our time entangled in the diversionary.
For my brothers and sisters, the time is approaching where we are going to be challenged, and I’m concerned we’re not suited-up and at-the-ready to, IN LOVE, give an account for what we believe and why we believe it. I’m genuinely distressed over the potential inadequacies of the body of Christ to rightly represent our faith in work and in deeds. Me included.
I pray for all us to measure and analyze where, and in-what, we are investing our most precious and fleeting resource, our time.