Addictions and Facebook

"Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead- and Christ will give you light."
Ephesians 5:14


After reading a devotional that I get daily on my e-mail I read this comment from a fellow reader who was touched by the devotional. It was about finding no condemnation in ourselves because we belong to Jesus.

“Can’t express what this means to me today. I haven’t spent “be still” time with God for so long now; it used to be something I did every morning after waking up. Nowadays Facebook has taken the place of my time with Him. Today I felt Him asking gently, “Don’t get on Facebook, not yet.” So I sat propped up against my pillows & talked to Him from my heart about where my life is & how I thought I’d missed His leading in my life. I’ve made choices that I’m not proud of & I have weighed myself down with guilt & shame, but through it all I know He’s never left me. I felt lighter in spirit as I got up to get ready for work. A few minutes later, I heard the Word in my spirit “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Joy & peace flooded my soul! When I did eventually check Facebook & saw the devotional for today, I felt like I could fly! What a Love He has for us! Thank you!”

So many times a day many of us find that we condemn ourselves, and listen to the voices in our heads, and it’s because we are not spending that still quiet time with Jesus every morning. I speak for myself when I say the last I do when I go to bed is read my e-mail and chat on facebook, and the first thing I do when I wake up is reach for my computer to check my e-mail and my Facebook. It’s kinda lame. Facebook is just an addiction I cannot break for some strange reason. It’s really bad. I’ve tried doing Facebook fasts, I’ve tried deactivating my account, I’ve tried hiding my computer (brilliant idea since I know where I put it).
Every Tuesday night I go to my churches Addiction Ministry. I’m not ashamed to tell you. God has brought me a long way since being in this group. I have learned so much, and I am so thankful for the people who support me in prayer and love. I’m thankful for my adopted dad that got me involved and takes me every Tuesday night. I'm also thankful for my adopted mom who cooks a good meal on Tuesdays before we go. It’s life changing. At these meetings we learn what addictions specifically are and how we can break them. We just learn the Word of God, because that’s what our Hearts need, they are trying to get us set up for getting interested in God’s Word and how it transforms us. We then break up into groups, and we talk about what we learned and share what is on our hearts. We don’t sit in a circle and say, “Hi my name is Allison Baker and I’m a crack head.” Do some of us admit we have a problem? Yes. But the majority of the time, it takes a while for a person to open up about it.
The thing I want to run home for you tonight, and emphasize on is being in God’s Word. I challenge myself to read the Bible in 90 Days, right now I’m behind. Some days I can’t bring myself to read my Bible. I think about doing it all day, and I never do it. Then there are days when the Bible is all I am in. Here is why THE WORD is SO important to be in, and these are points that were made Tuesday that spoke to me.
1. If we are not sanctifying (set apart as or declare as holy) the Word of God in our lives we are opposing ourselves!
2. Addiction is the symptom. The real issue is idolatry.
3. What is in your life (or was there) that takes the place God is suppose to have?
4. When we keep returning to sin
Stop and think
Recognize it, and hate it!
Discern what is going on.
What do addictions look like? Some of these might surprise you. Addictions are not just limited too drugs and alcohol. Do you recognize any of these in you?

Alcohol, caffeine/sugar, compulsive behaviors such as: cleaning, dieting, lying, and exercise, credit cards, prescription medication, work, video games, TV, internet, facebook, talking, sports, shopping, gambling, male/female dependency.

In Isaiah 44 we see a story of a man who took his focus off of God, and set his heart on things that were not of God. But there is hope, because we read in the following verses that there is a redeemer who cleans us up and forgives us and loves us still. Oh what a Savior.
Isaiah 44:21-23

21 “Pay attention, O (Your Name Here),
for you are my servant, O (Your Name Here).
I, the LORD, made you,
and I will not forget you.
22 I have swept away your sins like a cloud.
I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist.
Oh, return to me,
for I have paid the price to set you free.”
23 Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done this wondrous thing.
Shout for joy, O depths of the earth!
Break into song,
O mountains and forests and every tree!
For the LORD has redeemed (Your Name Here)
and is glorified in (Your Name Here).

Here are some questions you can ask yourself, if you answer with anyone other than God, you need to check out who you are ultimately worshipping.
1. Who created me?
2. Whom do I ultimately trust?
3. To whom do I look for security and happiness?
4. To whom do I look for ultimate trust?
5. Who is in charge of my future?

So I have a proposition to those of you who are on facebook and feel like you might be on there too much, and it is cutting into your quite and still time with Jesus to do something with me. Starting Monday, September 19, 2011 I’m going to do a 40 day Facebook fast, and try to limit myself on e-mail. October 28, 2011 will be day 40. Sometimes all it takes is breaking the habit, and finding a social life outside of facebook, maybe.

Facebook is my crack. That might offend some people, but it’s reality. So visit the tab at the top labeled "40 Day Facebook Fast" for further information. Hope you will consider doing it with me.