Habits Create Hinderance.
I find it quite easy to state the fact that we tend to shove the very things that cause pain in our lives, to the back of our head. In doing so, we fail to ever recognize them ever again due to the distractions we place in front of such things.
Over the past 2 weeks I have made the decision to cut social media out of my life. Why? It was a habit. It was a habit to wake up and instantly fill my mind with worldly things on Instagram and Snapchat. It was a habit to click on the same 2 apps over and over and over again. It was a habit to constantly allow the very things people post, say, and do, define the way I viewed myself, or hoped for myself to be. It was a habit that created hinderance.
1 Timothy 6:11
"But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness."
Social media created a hinderance to my relationship with Jesus. It limited my willingness to spend time soaking in scripture. Worshipping freely. Or even journaling. So as Paul instructs young Timothy to flee from wordly things, I felt God telling me "Remove the distraction, remove the false images, remove them!"
I would like to share with you a vision from the book of Daniel:
Daniel 10:1-5
"In those days, I, Daniel, Had been mourning for three entire weeks, I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use an ointment at all until the entire three weeks were complete. On the twenty-forth day of the first month, while I was at the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in Linen..."
The scripture goes on to explain the vision Daniel had of Jesus. Now, the reason I share this specific encounter with you, that Daniel experience, is because Daniel saw Jesus after he gave things up. After he removed things from his life.
These past two weeks without social media have been absolutely refreshing. Not only was I able to step away from a habit. I was able to recognize things in my life that I have been distracting myself from.
I have begun to enter into a season where I am experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit in some extraordinary ways. I know theres more to God, and I want more, and I have a desire to go deeper. The removal of social media has allowed me to witness healings, recognize emotional unbalance, and pour myself out like never before. I started to see Jesus AFTER I gave things up.
Every moment I wished to scroll through instagram I would pray. I would worship. And those opportunities have allowed me to hear God speak to me and receive visions in my life that I constantly long for.
But I am writing this today, as a testimony that the things that have been defining me, no longer have power over my life. I stripped away those distractions. Stripped away the lies. Stripped away the fear of man. My eyes are fixed on Jesus.
Ephesians 4:22-24
"That, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."
Please recognize that I have so many areas on my life that I need deliverance from. Fasting social media did not make me some holy, well-put together man. It has simply allowed me to place things in front of me that I shoved so far back. It has allowed me to see Jesus more clearly.
Some of us wonder why we are so affected by things of our past, and even things of our present. Reality is, if you refuse to seek deliverance from such things, you will never find proper healing, and always be affected tremendously by those things. Trust me, I live the same realities as everyone else.
Fasting from social media has shown me the depth of who God really is. He wants to meet with you. He wants to walk with you, but if you place things over Him, you cannot question where He is in your life. You should rather question where to let Him in your life.
In no way is this easy; however, I will continue to fast from social media, and ensure that I do not develop habits that hinder my relationship with Jesus. What are some things in your life that you feel create a hinderance for yourself, and your relationship with God?
Joel 2:12-13
"Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping, and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments. Now return to the Lord your God."
Rid of the things that hinder your relationship.
Over the past 2 weeks I have made the decision to cut social media out of my life. Why? It was a habit. It was a habit to wake up and instantly fill my mind with worldly things on Instagram and Snapchat. It was a habit to click on the same 2 apps over and over and over again. It was a habit to constantly allow the very things people post, say, and do, define the way I viewed myself, or hoped for myself to be. It was a habit that created hinderance.
1 Timothy 6:11
"But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness."
Social media created a hinderance to my relationship with Jesus. It limited my willingness to spend time soaking in scripture. Worshipping freely. Or even journaling. So as Paul instructs young Timothy to flee from wordly things, I felt God telling me "Remove the distraction, remove the false images, remove them!"
I would like to share with you a vision from the book of Daniel:
Daniel 10:1-5
"In those days, I, Daniel, Had been mourning for three entire weeks, I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use an ointment at all until the entire three weeks were complete. On the twenty-forth day of the first month, while I was at the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris, I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in Linen..."
The scripture goes on to explain the vision Daniel had of Jesus. Now, the reason I share this specific encounter with you, that Daniel experience, is because Daniel saw Jesus after he gave things up. After he removed things from his life.
These past two weeks without social media have been absolutely refreshing. Not only was I able to step away from a habit. I was able to recognize things in my life that I have been distracting myself from.
I have begun to enter into a season where I am experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit in some extraordinary ways. I know theres more to God, and I want more, and I have a desire to go deeper. The removal of social media has allowed me to witness healings, recognize emotional unbalance, and pour myself out like never before. I started to see Jesus AFTER I gave things up.
Every moment I wished to scroll through instagram I would pray. I would worship. And those opportunities have allowed me to hear God speak to me and receive visions in my life that I constantly long for.
But I am writing this today, as a testimony that the things that have been defining me, no longer have power over my life. I stripped away those distractions. Stripped away the lies. Stripped away the fear of man. My eyes are fixed on Jesus.
Ephesians 4:22-24
"That, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."
Please recognize that I have so many areas on my life that I need deliverance from. Fasting social media did not make me some holy, well-put together man. It has simply allowed me to place things in front of me that I shoved so far back. It has allowed me to see Jesus more clearly.
Some of us wonder why we are so affected by things of our past, and even things of our present. Reality is, if you refuse to seek deliverance from such things, you will never find proper healing, and always be affected tremendously by those things. Trust me, I live the same realities as everyone else.
Fasting from social media has shown me the depth of who God really is. He wants to meet with you. He wants to walk with you, but if you place things over Him, you cannot question where He is in your life. You should rather question where to let Him in your life.
In no way is this easy; however, I will continue to fast from social media, and ensure that I do not develop habits that hinder my relationship with Jesus. What are some things in your life that you feel create a hinderance for yourself, and your relationship with God?
Joel 2:12-13
"Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping, and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments. Now return to the Lord your God."
Rid of the things that hinder your relationship.
