Not Fast Enough

There are things in each of our lives that we need to toss. No, eradicate. Burn out. Kill. Sins, you know? Pet sins. Things we run to and then regret. Things we do then repent and then we do again and can't figure out, "How did I end up here again?" Those things are obvious. You know what you have to do. Kill it. Cut it off. Tear it out.

There are other things that don't fall in that category. There are things that aren't evil on the face, but they distract. Facebook is not listed in Scripture as a sin, for instance, but you know you can become addicted, overcome, distracted. When you could be praying or reading God's Word or meeting with a brother or sister in need, you're ... distracted. Maybe your distraction isn't Facebook. Or Twitter. Or Instagram. Or whatever other social media distraction we might list. Maybe it's television. Maybe it's games. Entertainment in general. You know, the root of the word "amuse" is "muse," meaning "to think," coupled with "a," meaning not. Amusement is intended to make us not think. And while a brief rest from thinking might be okay, sometimes we can, as Neil Postman put it, amuse ourselves to death. Distractions. Things that aren't bad in and of themselves, but can be made to be that way.

Scripture lists "the fruit of the Spirit," things you would expect to see if you are filled with the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). We like the "love, joy, peace" start, but it feels like Paul listed "self-control" last because that's not really a joy for many of us. God appears to think it ought to be. So how do we apply "self-control" to the things that distract to come up with a helpful approach to those things which keep us from paying attention to the things Christ would have us attend to?

Scripture also talks about fasting. We all know that's about not eating for a period of time. Why not other things? Fasting is voluntarily going without food or other good things from God for some spiritual purpose. Fasting exercises self-control. It removes distractions for a period of time -- distractions of food or whatever else you're fasting from -- and focuses your attention elsewhere. God's Word recommends fasting. So, why not put these two concepts together? Why not do a fast ... from Facebook or television or computers? Why not set your phone aside for a day and use it for only necessary phone calls and nothing else? Or maybe it is food that distracts you. Stop that for a day. Use the time you would have spent on whatever it is you're fasting from to pray, to read God's Word, to minister to someone else -- something that would glorify God.

I'm not suggesting that you eliminate Facebook (or whatever) from your life because it's a sin. I'm suggesting that each one of us has distractions in life that are not sin but can become sin if they take us away from God. So why not exercise self-control (something recommended by God) and learn to control those things that take our attention from Christ? Like Paul's suggestion that a married couple might "fast" from sex "for a limited time that you may devote yourselves to prayer." (1 Cor 7:5). Surely exercising self-control to focus attention on Christ would be a good thing. Surely you can think of some things in your life that aren't sin on the face of it but can, indeed, divert your attention from your Lord. Maybe you might try a fast of this. Maybe you might make it a practice. Maybe we don't fast enough. Maybe.