Originally published Thursday, 30 June 2016.
I was checking to see how many Twitter followers I had. It was just a few seconds of distraction, a few seconds of indulgence, but seconds that cost me so much.
I glanced around the room for my 1-year-old daughter. She was nowhere to be found. I called her name. Nothing. I furiously looked around the room. Nowhere. My heart skipped a beat. Anxiety welled up in my chest. There are so many things that can happen in just seconds. My mind raced. The possibilities overwhelmed me.
Then I heard it—a thump, thump, thump. My worst nightmare was becoming a reality. Something was happening to my baby. I heard her falling and ran as quickly as I could muster to the most dangerous spot in the house—our stairs. I saw her at the bottom, crying. My heart broke.
My distraction led to this infraction.
My preoccupation created a situation.
My online enjoyment led to her torment.
How do you find that what you seek online—pleasure, satisfaction, fun—leads you away from God and others? What we do in a matter of a few seconds can have long-lasting repercussions. What makes us feel good or accepted can make others feel the exact opposite: denied and rejected.
As I hugged my crying baby girl, I realized, it was time to turn away from Google and Facebook to think about how I was impacting others. It was time I look at what and where I invest my heart.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23).
“Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart” (Psalm 26:2).
God, what do you want to show me about my heart?
I was DISTRACTED.
I was distracted from the presence, the place where God shows off. Usually, I love to see my daughter's new milestones, but, this time, I didn't get to see her climb those stairs. I missed that moment.
When we immerse ourselves in a screen, we miss the in between.
I sought AMUSEMENT above all.
"Entertain me! Delight me! Consume me!" That is what I say so often to my screen. Give me a moment of joy in a world that aggravates me.
God speaks differently, to me it sounds something like: amusement comes and amusement goes, but my love remains forever.
“For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:5 NIV).
I wanted my FAME above his.
Read my posts. Like me. Favorite me. Retweet me. See me. Accept me. Do you notice the theme? Me. Me. Me. When we focus on self, God goes on a shelf.
Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. (Habakkuk 3:2 NIV).
What desires does your heart seek? They extend far beyond a screen, I assure you.
“For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things” (Psalm 107:9 NLT).
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