Just about two months ago I wrote a post about how I got a challenge card from our summer camp for taking a fast of all things social media for 3 months, and instead of doing social media to read through Proverbs and Psalms (you can read the post HERE). I have been doing just that and I have to say it has been a pretty incredible experience. I thought I would write down some things I have either noticed or have learned during this social media fast.

I used social media to waste time. I know the purpose of social media is to connect with others, but I feel like I discovered that it can easily pull you away from people who are right in front of you. I discovered I went on social media when I was bored or I was just sitting down waiting on something. I found myself pulling out my phone to look at Facebook or Instagram whenever I had a spare second.

Instead, I have learned to now be intentional with the people I am waiting around with. Either if it is my wife at home, students between services, or strangers around me at Starbucks, I am more aware of needs and conversations just start. It’s amazing who you can interact with when your face is not buried in a phone.

In reading in Proverbs, the verses in which I felt were directed right towards me were the ones about pride. Proverbs has a ton to say about pride. I have learned that I would use social media to promote my stuff. Whether it was an event in my life or a post that I wrote for a blog. It was all about me. I have discovered that since I have not been able to promote my own stuff, people have interacted with my thoughts and posts more than any time before. So I can say without a doubt, when I get back on social media, I won’t be promoting my stuff but just writing what I feel the Lord wants me to share and that’s it.

Facebook makes it really easy to talk and connect with students. It’s almost like cheating really. But even more now, I realized Facebook is opposite of what it’s promoted as… a community. Students think interacting on Facebook is the same as interacting face-to-face. False. I believe pastors have fallen into this trap as well. There is nothing like face-time one-on-one interactions with students and this fast has made me be super intentional with meeting new students and hanging out with students I want to know better (check out my post on intentional one-on-one time with students HERE).

The worship pastor here at Saddleback knew I was reading through the Psalms and gave me a book called “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction” by Eugene Peterson about Psalms 120-135 and it has blowing my mind. Such a great way to dissect each of the Psalms and God has revealed a ton of Himself to me in this book. I recommend it.

Those are some of the big things I have been working through and dealing with on this social media fast. I’ll be back on at the end of October but I can already tell I am doing to be taking a different route when it comes to using social media.