Consumption.

I am so looking forward to a summer phasing out of the Covid norm and pumped about what God is doing!  He is still on the throne and we still have an opportunity to walk with Him, while seeking and saving that which is lost or broken.

Wanted to invite you into a summer initiative around what we are choosing to consume, what we are connecting with, and how we are contributing. It started for me about a month ago — starting to think through and talk to J Man about what my summer was going to look like. In regards to my family, but especially the Church. Covid restrictions had not yet changed, and all sorts of what-if’s were playing around in my mind trying to navigate different hypothetical situations. There could be a spike in Covid cases, the county could extend mask mandates and social distancing through the summer, we would need to continue to navigate if we were going to abide by guidelines or not. This of course created close to zero amount of peace in my soul, and a couple units of angst mixed with my own anger.

As I attempted to put this before the Lord, He asked me if any of those what-if’s really mattered. We began to dialogue about what the different what-if’s are rooted in. How my imagination was building out these scenarios that were the opposite of peace and clarity, and yet they were dictating my emotional state and stifling hope for the future.

As we continued, Romans 12 was coming to the forefront of the conversation, and I was reaping a clear correction from the Lord. It centered around me making a choice not to renew my mind in what was true, and as a result, present my body as a living sacrifice (verse 1,2).  Rather, I was renewing my mind in the information that was being delivered to my phone via social media and YouTube, especially around the Covid. Which at face value is fine, if that’s what I wanted to be informing and influencing me. However, my desire is to have Jesus and His Word be the influence in my life, and everything else simply be informative.

So. My question, and my challenge — if you would enjoy joining me — is what do you want to consume this summer? Think along the lines of people, platforms, and time.  Who, how, how much time do you want to give to what you are consuming? Think time spent in your Bible vs. time spent on a screen.

Is it really possible to spend an hour reading my Bible every day? Is it possible to whip out a scripture that you are memorizing when you are bored, as opposed to your phone? Is it possible to live with access to heaven all summer because we choose to consume Jesus and His Word as the primary influence? Is it possible to pray in your car instead of listening to that legit podcast?

I think it’s possible. I see Jesus living that way. And I would rather not allow myself to be emotionally thrown off, or manipulated by some suggested video.

Would you join me? Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you about how to build out a life this summer of making courageous choices to consume truth, and limit the consumption of things you don’t actually want to influence you.

I’ll break down what connecting and contributing looks like a bit more in the next couple posts. Feel free to follow along with me and my journey this summer over here at the YouTube machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyiWkSWfucl

Also, invite a friend, family member, or co-worker to do this with you. It’s a simple filter for navigating life and helping us live enjoyable, abiding lives with Jesus!