I’ve been spending a lot of time lately away from the computer.  I’ve deleted several social media apps off of my phone.  It’s not a permanent and noisy “I’m giving up such and such to spend time with Jesus” breakup.

It’s just a simplifying.

I’ve been re-reading some books that I love lately, and one of them talks about identifying which voices we’re allowing to speak to us and acknowledging that we’re allowing those voices power of influence that can affect our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviours.  I chose to write out a list of five voices that I wanted to listen to.  These voices were people I respect and admire and value—people with character that has been tested and found worthy.

But it’s hard to listen to wise voices when voices cajole and tease and whisper to us from all around.

I looked first at my facebook feed.  By virtue of what we care about, my facebook feed is filled with knowledge of good and evil.  It’s like the tree in the garden.  I look on facebook and see my friends’ beautiful babies.  And they’re precious and sweet.  And then I look at the other things I care about: racial reconciliation, immigration, prevention of trafficking, giving hope to the hopeless and under-represented.  Filling the cracks and spaces of this broken world with justice and hope.  And because I care about those things, I read about the things that are evil in the world that are preventing or hampering peace and restoration.

And aside from that is the homeschooling sector of the internet.  Which screams “buy this! teach this! do this!  you really *need* this book over here to be fully presenting history from a unique perspective so that your child will become a model citizen.”

So facebook was fostering a continual state of hopelessness at how convoluted our world is and was not empowering me in my identity as a Christ follower.  It was also fostering a state of discontent and materialism.

I took it a step further and looked at my Instagram feed.  And Instagram is beautiful, isn’t it?   But I was following all of these people that I really had no business following.

You all, I really have no business looking at Mary Beth Chapman’s photos of her lunch or kids going off to school.  And I don’t collect enough plants to need to know how to arrange my “urban garden” in a loft in New York City.

That’s just nosiness.

I haven’t barred social media from my life in any way.  I’ve just toned down the voices.  I unfollowed about 200 people today on instagram, and I’m limiting myself to about 10 minutes an evening on Facebook.  Some functions of modern society just don’t happen well outside of social media.

One thing I want you to think about today is whom you’re listening to.  You are the one ultimately responsible for which voices you allow to speak into your life.

If you need to unfollow people, block people, delete apps, do it.  Prioritize the people who speak life, wisdom, beauty, and truth into your life.  Some of those people might even be dead, and you can only hear them through their writings.  Get rid of things that foster discontent.  I promise, if you unfollow me, I will absolutely not mind.  I don’t write for adulation or followers.  I write because truth needs to bubble out.  Follow those people whose voices speak life.

One Comment

  1. Pingback: On Our Bookshelves: August 30, 2017 | Those Kinds Of People

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.