Ever go on Facebook and forget why you went there in the first place? It happens to me way more than I wish it did. I just came across a short blog entry by Randy Alcorn called “Living Life or Documenting Insignificance.” (Thanks to CMDA Atlanta Area Director Bill Reichart for passing this along). On one level, it’s about how we fritter our time away via social media like Facebook, but on a deeper level, it’s about how the small, good and easy things replace the bigger, better and harder things.
How do we make progress in this difficult area?
One starting point that Alcorn mentions is that we need to recognize that God is ultimately more satisfying than Facebook, email, TV, or, YouTube. While it’s fine – and even good – to spend some time on those things, as we practically grow in our love for God, we’ll find it easier to spend time with Him and doing those, other ‘bigger’ things He has in mind.
This is the principle of replacement Paul outlines in Ephesians 4:22-24 – “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” The big-picture principle is that to get rid of something we need to “put on” something better, something that fits with who we are as Christians.
Let’s put this into action. For this next week, what’s one ‘bigger’ thing you want to make time for? What ‘smaller’ thing can you spend less time on to make room for it? Come to think of it, in an effort to ‘practice what I blog,’ I’m going to unplug right now and spend some time in prayer.
Transforming Healthcare 