Social Free Sundays: Who’s coming with me?

Tomorrow, I’m doing something radical. I’m logging out. Of everything. No Facebook. No Twitter. No blogging. No social interaction, except with my flesh and blood family and friends. It will be hard. Very hard. You see, I love social media. Can you tell? 😉 I love logging into Facebook and seeing what kind of shenanigans my friends are up to. I love surfing my Twitter feed to see which gems I can RT. And I love to write. Most of all, I love to write.

But sometimes, a little birdie perches on your shoulder and says, “take a break.” Or in my case, it was a guy named Chip Ingram who wrote a small group study called “Balancing Life’s Demands.” In it, he describes how we’re all overwhelmed by life’s “should dos” and “ought to dos.” But how are we really to know God’s will for us if we don’t take time to listen to him? How are we supposed to listen to him if we don’t have time? Time. We always want more, but don’t often make the most of what we have. I know I’m not. I’m easily distracted by shiny things. And shiny things often exist online.

I know this is probably counter-intuitive. Why would someone who’s trying to build their online community take a day off? An entire day? Regularly? Here’s why:

The urgent is rarely important and the important is rarely urgent. (Dwight Eisenhower)

Sometimes, as bloggers, our online conversations seem urgent. As in, “I have to respond to this RIGHT NOW.” But what if our friends knew we were taking a day off? Would they mind? Not at all. That’s what friends are for.

There are things that are important, like strengthening my relationship with the God of the Universe, getting projects done around my home and spending laptop-free time with my family. These things always seem like things that can “wait until tomorrow,” but they’re not. They shouldn’t wait. They deserve sacred time, away from the world. So starting tomorrow, you won’t hear from me, unless you attend my church, are in my community, or feel like calling me up on the phone.

And part of me feels guilty for this, because I value my online friends. I rely on them for companionship, inspiration, and often, necessary information. But just for a day, one day, I won’t try to balance both worlds. I’ll log out of one, and log in to another. And if you’re like me, fully engaged in the online world, and happily so, I dare you to try this challenge. Pick one day during the week, and log out. (Unless you’re obligated to log in for a living.) I’m not sure what to expect, but I know it’s the right thing to do. It’s a leap of faith, and He’s never steered me in the wrong direction before. He hasn’t.

The length of our days is seventy years, or eighty if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. 
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
(Psalm 90: 10-12 NIV)