Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. [Philippians 4:8 – NKJV]
A few years ago, Sue and I discontinued our cable TV service. We were stationed in Germany, and wouldn’t have watched enough German language TV to justify the expense. We found that we had so much more time in our day from not watching TV that when we returned to the USA, we got cable Internet and phone service, but left TV service off. It’s not that there isn’t anything good on TV. It’s just that you have to sort through so much debauchery, blasphemy, and outright ugliness to find it that it’s just not worth the struggle. It’s certainly not worth spending our hard-earned money for the “privilege.” We haven’t missed having TV in the nearly ten years since we pulled the plug.
Today, I realized that I feel much the same way about Facebook. Please don’t misunderstand me. Facebook has some benefits that I do enjoy. I love my Facebook friends – most of whom are real-life face-to-face friends as well. I love the Facebook groups I have joined that allow me to exchange information and plan activities with friends and strangers who share common interests. I love being able to share my blog posts with a wider audience and receive their feedback. I love the humorous videos and memes that give me hearty and healthy belly laughs day-by-day. I love hearing about the happenings in the lives of those I love who are far away. I love the devotions written by my brothers and sisters in the LORD Jesus. I love and thank Facebook for putting me back in contact with folks from my past with whom I had long ago lost touch. I love being able to share the events of my life with the people I love with the ease that Facebook offers.
I’m going to miss those beneficial aspects of Facebook. With all that said though, in recent weeks I have become aware of a deep oppression in the depths of my soul, and just today realized it’s coming from all the time I’m spending on Facebook. It might be more accurate to describe Facebook as an antisocial rather than a social network. Intertwined with the funny memes, and the heartwarming news from loved ones far away is an overwhelming plethora of sarcasm, cynicism, debauchery, blasphemy, political bombast, and disturbing news of war, murder, civil violence, child abuse, oppression, governmental corruption, abuse of power, social strife, environmental catastrophe, intolerance, loss of freedom, demonic activity, global starvation, religious persecution, etc. The list could go on and on and on. You take my point, I’m sure. Practically everything I see on Facebook makes me angry or depressed or both.
Not only am I wasting many precious hours every day sifting through the great pile of detritus which is the vast majority of Facebook’s content, in doing so I am allowing the enemy of our souls to rob me of my joy in the LORD. What’s even worse, I find myself putting up Facebook posts that are adding fuel to this fire, of discontentment and division, and that must stop immediately!
So this morning first thing, I turned off all Facebook notifications, and deleted all the ones that had already come in overnight. It’s not that I don’t want to hear from you, dearly beloved, or learn what’s happening in your world. I do. It’s just that I can’t handle all the negativity that’s mixed in with the good stuff. I’m still undecided how I’ll approach Facebook going forward. For now, I’m on hiatus. I’m not sure for how long. I’ll continue to share my blog posts on Facebook, and my friends can always reach me through Facebook messenger, e-mail, SMS, by phone or in person. If you want but don’t have my other contact info, and reach me only through Facebook messenger, then send me a PM, and I’ll share the other avenues with you.
Bye for now – maybe for good.
I’ve done this from time to time and I only miss it the first few dsys then it begins to wear a off. Its always good to take a break…enjoy the peace.
Thanks, Frank. Will do.
My dear, dear brother Brian, reading your gifts on FB is probably the better part of FB for me. You spread truth, and remind me of how God permeates even FB, in order to fill my life. I do understand about all the negativity; I gave up cable TV for a while, got it back thinking of trashing it again — it is difficult, because there are a coupe of jewels hidden in the mountain of garbage. I think of FB like that. And it is so difficult to to not be hypnotized by it, and want to read EVERYTHING that is there. But it is too much. We must only sip it, the best of it, and then walk away. It in an excercise of restraint. I would miss your jewels–
Thank you for your kind words, dear sister Candy. I believe with all my heart that God is calling me to a FB fast. I’m not sure for how long. Thanks again.
Brian, while I fully understand and mostly agree with everything you have said let me confer with the following. “All it takes for evil to win is for good men to do nothing.” While I get tired of all the negativity and trash propagated through all forms of so called “social” media if folks like yourself that try to spread the love of Christ, joy, love, truth, etc. leave these platforms then what would be left? It would leave nothing but the trash you described and being that these platforms, unfortunately, being the place our children spend so much time and get so much of the information that forms their opinions need to see there are still those if us that love God and try to live an honest, ethical, and moral existence.
Thanks for your feedback, Dave. You are the only one so far who has made any comment, and that is a true blessing to me. God bless you for your commitment. My problem is a personal one of spiritual oppression, and I believe it is being caused at least in part by all the time I spend on Facebook, and all the stuff on there I allow my heart to be exposed to. I’m leaving because I want to rediscover my own personal joy in the LORD. Of course, I will continue to do my best to serve the LORD, but I believe He is calling me away from “social” media back into actual society. I will follow Him as well as I can discern His will for the short time we all have left. Maybe that will mean a return to Facebook. For now though, I believe He is calling me to lay it down for a while.