#FOMO—Fear Of Missing Out—was just added (new learning for me!) to the latest edition of a popular English language dictionary. It appears and, to an extent I am hearing this matter being discussed at home by our sons, that there’s an entire generation of people who are constantly worried they’re going to miss out on something. With the ease of accessibility to technology and the creativity that social media provides, there is this tremendous pressure to stay connected all the time, 24×7.
There is this intense and widely shared enthusiasm that everyone is craving to get the highest number of likes! The obvious question to me is that, at the end of my life, is it really going to matter how many Likes I got? Do I honestly believe that at my deathbed one day, I would be wishing to post some crazy post?
Last week whilst at work I observed so many who were struggling to get a hold of what they needed to do in their work responsibilities and, I began to connect the dots and understand that what I really should be afraid of is missing out on the persons in front of me who needs my help to be someone or something more meaningful in lives. The more we stay glued to our smart phone, we are missing out on our children growing up, missing out on enjoying an intimate marriage and missing out on deep friendships filled with meaning.
Our fear that we are going to miss out on something may cause us to miss out on what matters most!
Update: This morning our son invited us to listen to a sermon on this subject and as I read what I had deliberated on, I learn that as we have this Fear Of Missing Out, we also experience the Fear Of Meeting Opposition (FOMO!)! We move in haste to try to achieve things that others have and yet, as we get hasty, we forget the options and plans God has in place for us! Its because of our feelings, and this is all about our Feelings Over My Obedience (FOMO!!). And this is why our faith is so important, it’s called crazy faith, where our own opinions are set aside, and as said ‘not my will but yours’ that leads to Faith Over My Opinion (FOMO!!)
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 NIV
The realisation is that life will not be about how many Likes we get, it will be all about how we use the opportunities God provides to us show His love to others. I am personally being reminded that the only way people will know that I am a follower of Jesus is by how well I love other people.
The world will not know that we are His disciples by how many followers we have, by how many Likes we get, by how quickly we are to respond to emails, or by how many Bible verses we post!
We will be known as His disciples when others can see our love being acted out, when we get involved in the lives of other people, when we care for them right where they are, when we open up our heart — that’s when they will see something in us that they really want, THE one and only creator who first loved us!
Others won’t know us by ‘Likes’. They will know us by ‘HIS Love’.
Crazy Faith by Pastor Michael Todd
INSPIRE 