"That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish”.( Joel 2:12-13)
During the month of July, I fasted from television. I learned a lot about myself during this time. Here are some things that broke my heart and brought me to fall on my knees. (In no particular order.)
-I depended more on TV than God. When I get tired, my automatic response wants to be to turn on the TV and zone out. I used the TV as a strength and renewal tool, when I should use God as my source of strength.
-I relied on story lines from TV movies/shows for hope rather than God’s promises. This might sound stupid, and it is, but I would watch a happy ending to a movie and believe that there is a chance that the happy ending could happen to me. *Example would be a love story. I based my hope and future happiness on a worldly view. Instead my hope should come from the greatest love story written in history and the fact that I will spend eternity with the one who loved me enough to die on a cross.
-I think I actually had withdraws from watching TV. I would think “Oh, let me turn on the TV”, then I would remember I couldn’t, and have an anxiety attack (overstated, but I had anxiety ) because I didn’t know what to do. But, with God’s help, I would put my energy into strengthening my relationship with the Lord or others He would bring to mind. My hope in the future is that the only addiction I will have is spending time with God and doing His plan!
-Without TV, I have been able to gain More of God and Less of me. My thoughts are centered more on God, which has led me to be able to fight struggles, trials, and temptations when they arise. Without TV, I have been able to stay turned in to the Spirit, which has given me more knowledge and understanding towards moving into God’s will for my life.
How do you unwind? What source do you use to gain strength? What helps you deal with being tired and stressed? If the answers to these questions do not include time with God, then I challenge you to maybe fast from your normal sources of strength and renewal, and allow God to replace it for a time period.
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