The kids are in bed. My husband snores contentedly by my side. The laundry and dishes are all caught up. I’ve brushed my teeth and climbed into bed, only I’m unable to close my eyes for more than a minute. I must be forgetting something. It’s simply too quiet. Everything seems to be in order for the moment and I can’t even enjoy it. Have you been there?
FoMO, or FEAR OF MISSING OUT, a marketing phrase coined in 2004, has been a psychological diagnosis since 2014 characterized by obsessive checking of social media networks. Users who habitually refresh their feed to insure not missing an important, possibly life-changing event are missing out on real life, abundant life, every single day. I have menu confusion. I’d like to order several items on the menu but I only have the money and the appetite for one.
“FoMO broadcasts more options than can be pursued, impacting an individual’s decision making in personal and professional settings[38].
It may impair an individual’s ability to make commitments and agreements, as one feels inclined to keep options open and not risk losing out on an important, potentially life-changing experience which may offer greater meaning and personal gratification.”
This fear stems from a desire for genuine relationship. Physical presence has almost entirely been replaced by a virtual world. I’ve got to know what everyone else is doing so I’ll know what I need to do. There will always be something left undone at day’s end, but there is one very important thing you never have to worry about missing- the most important thing, in fact. And one essential relationship without which all others fail to satisfy.
“Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires.
They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again?
From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”
But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends:
A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.
The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think.
No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
2 Peter 3:3-4, 8-9 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2pe.3.3-9.NLT
Do you hear the inclusivity? God wants everyone to repent. “For God so loved the world that He gave…” (John 3:16) God loved the entire world so much that He offered the supreme sacrifice- Himself. He wants everyone to accept the free gift that He offers. He knows who will and who won’t be that didn’t stop Him from making a way. He is that Way.
“Jesus replied,
“Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming,
‘I am the Messiah.’
They will deceive many.”
Mark 13:5-6 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mrk.13.5-6.NLT
“Then if anyone tells you,
‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or
‘There he is,’ don’t believe it.
For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.
See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.
“So if someone tells you,
‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look.
Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it!
For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.
“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.
Only the Father knows.”
Matthew 24:5, 23-27, 36 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.24.5-36.NLT
“Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory.
And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard!
Stay alert!”
Mark 13:26, 32-33 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mrk.13.32.NLT
People have walked in front of moving cars or fallen down stairs because they were so focused on their mobile devices. We learn by rote to concentrate on what’s most important to us. When we’re behind the wheel of a car, we learn to keep our eyes ahead, scanning forward and oncoming lanes while glancing peripherally to avoid a collision. We know the importance of attentiveness on the road, and although those same mobile devices have become a huge distraction behind the wheel, they also direct us to reroute if we’ve missed a turn. Jesus says He has warned us ahead of time not to be deceived.
“What advantage is there in gaining the plaudits of a culture that disowns God?
Does not Jesus ask, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37).
If this is God’s universe, if he is our Maker and Judge, why on earth (or beyond the earth, for that matter!) should anything be called “wise” that ignores him?
How much less should it be called “wise” if it indulges in actions or attitudes forbidden by him?
For The Love Of God: Day 74 • Devotional
https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/786/day/74?segment=0
“Don’t be so surprised!
Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again.
Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.”
John 5:28-29 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.5.28-29.NLT
The day of His return is coming. That is certain.
“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:9-11 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/php.2.9-11.NLT
“And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.”
2 Peter 3:14-15 NLT
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