Fasting -is a willing abstinence or reduction from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast or dry fasting is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a period of 24 hours, or a number of days. Water fasting allows drinking water but nothing else. Other fasts may be partially restrictive, limiting only particular foods or substances. A fast may also be intermittent in nature. Fasting practises may preclude intercourse and other activities as well as food.Well that's what wiki says. The bible mentions 3 kinds of fasting -
Absolute Fast: No food or water.
Normal Fast: Abstaining from food.
Partial Fast: Daniel’s fast – abstaining from meat, sweets, bread or you can only eat bread.
We were called to fast over January. Immediately i felt God press upon me to fast Facebook. It may seem strange to some but social media, activities and other things that take up your time instead of spending time with God is a good thing to fast from time to time. I didn't question it. I pondered on how much time i actually spend on Facebook. Here are the scenarios -
- After i read my bible app in the morning, i like to see my Facebook memories.- when i come back from swimming i may have a little look to see who is about. - lunchtime, i would sit down and have my lunch, watch some TV and look at fb.- instagram pictures and link to fb- when the kids get home from school i can find myself looking whist stirring the mac cheese in the pan.- once the kids go to bed and we've had dinner, i will while away the times dropping in and out of fb.- bedtime, a quick look on fb before I sleep.
Now this is just a random list of when i would look or could look. I am not saying that I actually did this everyday. But maybe I did?. I sat down on the last day of December and scrolled through fb and pondered long and hard.What was I going to miss?. Family and friends that live abroad. Yes. This is a genuine yes. Anything else?. Posting on my kids church page...... this is something i could get someone else to look at for a while. Ok, I thought. What am I not going to miss?Friends (and i use that word loosely) moaning and airing out all their dirty laundry to dry.Constant requests for silly games that i never have time to play (AS I HAVE A LIFE)Reminders for events that I never want to attendThe random food pictures of what people are having for dinner (yes i am also guilty of that)The weather updates from 20 people all saying the same thing - Its cold, its too hot, its snowing!!!I can't do this I said to myself. Its not going to be hard since the things I might miss list is much smaller than the NOT list.
I wanted breakthrough in my life, in my world. I wanted direction from God on where i was going and what i was supposed to do. I wanted to fast as i believed that getting closer to God and putting aside something that had gotten in the way was the best way to get the breakthrough that I desperately needed. Facebook had been in my life for 13 years and it was time to not only fast but to break the cycle.
So here I sit at my desk on the 1st February and how to I feel? Did I do it?. Have I looked on fb?Well let me first tell you, I didn't rush to fb as soon as my fast was over. It also wasn't because i had forgotten. I remembered that i could go on it but I thought.... Meh. I don't need this straight away. But I have looked. I looked about half an hour ago. I deleted all the rubbish that had been posted on my wall. Deleted the silly messages that I had been tagged in. And saw that 60 of my friends had wished me a Happy Birthday. Which was very nice, thank you. But I felt dirty that i had been on fb. I didn't see anything positive in the few minutes that I was on there.
You see people and I include myself in that, people have got so used to being on FB and thinking that what they see is real. People only post the best pictures, their best sides, unless they want to moan that that is generally seeking some other kind of attention. People think that they can hide behind the social media that is fb and not venture out into the real world. What happened to RELATIONSHIPS?. You actually have to spend time with someone to build a relationship. Its like a dating app. You all look great on the screen. A perfect match. But that doesn't mean that you should meet up and get married. That just wouldn't happen straight away. You would spend time with that person and build a relationship with them. Get to know them face to face. Now I am not slating dating apps, or any apps for that matter. I am just saying that if people stick to social media for their every need then they are going to be disappointed as online you are missing the social bit and only getting the media bit.
So what have I taken away personally from this time away from one (if not the) of the biggest social media outputs?. 1- I am not re installing fb on my phone2 - I am and will continue to spend time with people and make new friends face to face3 - I will look at Facebook, when i can be bothered, not because i am bored.4 - The extra time that i have will be (and has been) spent, reading books.So on conclusion to my month off fb. Is it all bad?. No, it can be a great tool to - make quick connections (then arrange to meet up) Keep up with family living miles away, catch up with old school chums, sell stuff , be notified when kids cubs or guides change whats going on, school mum's page, church page and lots more. But I'm saying all in moderation. Get out there and breath the air, chat to people, make new friends and catch up with old friends. Connect and appreciate that we can have relationships with other humans. Don't shut yourself away and struggle with things on your own. The enemy loves that. Connect with someone who will listen on fb and meet up.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25
- After i read my bible app in the morning, i like to see my Facebook memories.- when i come back from swimming i may have a little look to see who is about. - lunchtime, i would sit down and have my lunch, watch some TV and look at fb.- instagram pictures and link to fb- when the kids get home from school i can find myself looking whist stirring the mac cheese in the pan.- once the kids go to bed and we've had dinner, i will while away the times dropping in and out of fb.- bedtime, a quick look on fb before I sleep.
Now this is just a random list of when i would look or could look. I am not saying that I actually did this everyday. But maybe I did?. I sat down on the last day of December and scrolled through fb and pondered long and hard.What was I going to miss?. Family and friends that live abroad. Yes. This is a genuine yes. Anything else?. Posting on my kids church page...... this is something i could get someone else to look at for a while. Ok, I thought. What am I not going to miss?Friends (and i use that word loosely) moaning and airing out all their dirty laundry to dry.Constant requests for silly games that i never have time to play (AS I HAVE A LIFE)Reminders for events that I never want to attendThe random food pictures of what people are having for dinner (yes i am also guilty of that)The weather updates from 20 people all saying the same thing - Its cold, its too hot, its snowing!!!I can't do this I said to myself. Its not going to be hard since the things I might miss list is much smaller than the NOT list.
I wanted breakthrough in my life, in my world. I wanted direction from God on where i was going and what i was supposed to do. I wanted to fast as i believed that getting closer to God and putting aside something that had gotten in the way was the best way to get the breakthrough that I desperately needed. Facebook had been in my life for 13 years and it was time to not only fast but to break the cycle.
So here I sit at my desk on the 1st February and how to I feel? Did I do it?. Have I looked on fb?Well let me first tell you, I didn't rush to fb as soon as my fast was over. It also wasn't because i had forgotten. I remembered that i could go on it but I thought.... Meh. I don't need this straight away. But I have looked. I looked about half an hour ago. I deleted all the rubbish that had been posted on my wall. Deleted the silly messages that I had been tagged in. And saw that 60 of my friends had wished me a Happy Birthday. Which was very nice, thank you. But I felt dirty that i had been on fb. I didn't see anything positive in the few minutes that I was on there.
You see people and I include myself in that, people have got so used to being on FB and thinking that what they see is real. People only post the best pictures, their best sides, unless they want to moan that that is generally seeking some other kind of attention. People think that they can hide behind the social media that is fb and not venture out into the real world. What happened to RELATIONSHIPS?. You actually have to spend time with someone to build a relationship. Its like a dating app. You all look great on the screen. A perfect match. But that doesn't mean that you should meet up and get married. That just wouldn't happen straight away. You would spend time with that person and build a relationship with them. Get to know them face to face. Now I am not slating dating apps, or any apps for that matter. I am just saying that if people stick to social media for their every need then they are going to be disappointed as online you are missing the social bit and only getting the media bit.
So what have I taken away personally from this time away from one (if not the) of the biggest social media outputs?. 1- I am not re installing fb on my phone2 - I am and will continue to spend time with people and make new friends face to face3 - I will look at Facebook, when i can be bothered, not because i am bored.4 - The extra time that i have will be (and has been) spent, reading books.So on conclusion to my month off fb. Is it all bad?. No, it can be a great tool to - make quick connections (then arrange to meet up) Keep up with family living miles away, catch up with old school chums, sell stuff , be notified when kids cubs or guides change whats going on, school mum's page, church page and lots more. But I'm saying all in moderation. Get out there and breath the air, chat to people, make new friends and catch up with old friends. Connect and appreciate that we can have relationships with other humans. Don't shut yourself away and struggle with things on your own. The enemy loves that. Connect with someone who will listen on fb and meet up.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25
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