My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.
(Psalm 25:15-16)
I gave up Facebook, Twitter, and using the news app on my phone for a few weeks. I felt inundated with stories, memes, and videos that only served to make me afraid and angry. When I was away from social media and the news app, I read, watched movies, and went on hikes. Most importantly though, I spent a lot more time talking to God and studying the Bible.
About a week ago, when I had my knee surgery (nothing major, it was a torn meniscus repair), I started going back to Facebook and Twitter – to check in with friends – at least that’s what I told myself. And I found that my stress levels were rising. I could feel that familiar anger coming out once again. I had to admit I just can’t be on social media right now. I miss seeing what my friends are up to but I can’t handle the constant bombardment of rage.
I’ve spent the past few weeks thinking about the effect social media and certain biased news outlets has had on my life. And I don’t like what I see in myself.
I had a talk with a friend the other day who is as angry as I am about the state of the world. They ranted and vented at me about things for a while. As I listened, I was facing the reality of my own anger and how it had consumed me. After my friend vented, I asked them a simple question: “Where was God in all that anger?”
They were quiet, and so was I.
We’ve allowed our anger to keep us from God. We cannot be in touch with our Savior when we are filled with rage. Seeing my friend’s anger was a big dose of reality about my OWN anger.
It’s easy to be angry and overwhelmed by everything happening in our world today. The problem was that I found it hard to talk to God or even sense Him during my day because I was in a constant state of rage.
After my talk with my friend, I’ve spent more time thinking about my anger and my relationship with God. I feel like the most important part of me is lost when I’m focused on the world and not Him.
My heart is troubled right now. Is yours? I invite you to join me spending more time with God than with the news and on social media. Only He can soothe your troubled heart.
Almighty Father, thank you for the reminder that we should spend our time focused on you instead of on the troubles of the modern world. Only you can give us peace. Help each of us remember to turn to you when our hearts are troubled. Amen.