3 Reasons I Seldom Use Facebook

Mike Leake 2 Comments

It still looks like I use Facebook but I really do not.  It looks that way because it is linked to my Twitter account and so whenever I post something to Twitter it will also post on Facebook.  And I am messaged by Facebook for certain things and so I will still respond and check in occasionally.  But for the most part I no longer scroll through Facebook and here are 3 reasons why.

1.  It’s summer time.  I don’t want to see you in a bikini.  I’m happy that you had fun in Florida and that your swim party was really exciting and awesome and wonderful but I don’t really care to see pictures.  Bikini’s are no different than you posting pictures of you in your underpants, I don’t want to see that either. 

2. Too much junk.  No matter how many of these little Facebook programs I say “I don’t want to be notified about” they keep coming up with new junk that I have to intentionally ignore.  I wish that Facebook had an option that said, “Generally I don’t care about imaginary farms, I’ll let you know if I start to care, but until then please don’t send me these notifications”.  This is not to mention all of the pictures and pithy statuses that tell me I’m going to hell if I don’t forward this picture of Kenny Loggins. 

3. It’s distracting.  There are a million links, pictures, and a host of other things that can tempt me into squandering valuable time.  Don’t get me wrong I think there are some really good links and articles on Facebook.  But there is also so much to sift through that the end doesn’t really justify the means. 

So these are 3 reasons that I have largely abandoned Facebook.  I still use it for a few things.  It’s good for messages.  It’s good for announcements.  I do like the ability to have conversations.  But I think for the most part there is so much junk on Facebook now that even that has been muted because within 15 minutes there is something else up on your Facebook feed. 

Hotdogs and Craving

Mike Leake

Have you ever had Nathan’s Famous hotdogs? 

Though watching those hotdog eating contests on ESPN makes me not able to eat a hotdog for a few months afterwards, I cannot get enough of these Nathan’s hotdogs.  They are a little more expensive than your generic 99 cent hotdogs at the grocery store.  But the $2 more is worth every scrumptious bite. 

Now that I’ve tasted the delicousness that is a Nathan’s hotdog I find it a little difficult to eat those poor excuses for hotdogs that Wal-Mart tries to trick me into buying based on their cheap price.  Once you’ve tasted a Nathan’s you won’t want to grill out with another brand. 

I doubt he had Nathan’s hotdogs in mind when he wrote these words but 2,000 years later they fit:

“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”  (1 Peter 2:2-3)

When you have tasted the Lord’s goodness—through His Word and his mercies then you develop a hunger for more of him. 

As I am writing this little article about Nathan’s hotdogs my mouth is starting to water and I am thinking about calling my wife and letting her know I plan to grill some hotdogs tonight for supper.  Just thinking about their goodness creates a hunger and a longing to sink my teeth into one. 

The same thing is true of the Lord and His Word.  He makes all other things seem like eating a cheap hot dog.  Nothing but a fresh encounter with the living God will satiate when you have tasted the Lord’s goodness.  There is no one and no thing like Him. 

Tasting leads to the craving. 

The Slough of Despond (2/2)

Mike Leake

Yesterday, I quoted from John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress concerning the Slough of Despond (otherwise known as the Swamp of Despair).  This swamp of despair is the place that many who set out to follow Christ and remove the burden of the Law end up falling into.  Some liken it to depression.  Others liken it to what happens whenever you have a deep conviction of sin without a vision of Christ.  Both are probably somewhat in view.

As I was thinking through Bunyan’s Slough of Despond and my own battle with depression (that often feels like despair) my eyes were opened to an error in my thinking.  Sometimes when I fall into this pit I spend a good amount of time trying to familiarize myself with the descent into the abyss. 

While in the pit of depression and despair I spend a good portion of my time trying to figure out how I got in the pit.  I look around and try to familiarize myself with my unwelcome surroundings.  I replay in my mind everything leading up to my descent.  I long to have my feet on the land just inches before my plummet.  In my mind I study everything prior to the pit and everything that now encompasses me. 

Why do I do this?  Why do I spend time studying my gloom? 

In my mind I do this so that it can help me battle.  If I know what the ground looks like just inches before an abysmal plunge then I can keep my eyes open and prevent this from happening again.  If I study my surroundings I can perhaps acclimate myself to life in the pit, keep myself alive, and somehow figure a way out of this pit. 

Sounds good.  One problem, though.  It forgets about Jesus. 

While there may be benefit in thinking through what caused my descent and trying not to follow that path again, it may not really help me in getting out of the pit—or even preventing other descents.  My above strategy would work if I were the one responsible for getting out of the pit.  But it’s not me. 

    He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
        out of the miry bog,
    and set my feet upon a rock,
        making my steps secure.
(Psalm 40:2 ESV)

My time would probably be better spent focusing on the strong hand that gets me out of the pit than studying my descent.  After all He knows the pit better than I do.  He directs my steps.  He makes my feet secure. 

Practically?

What does this look like practically, you ask?  It means that rather than spending my energies trying to figure out why I fell I expend my energies on grabbing the holy hand that pulls me out of the pit.  If I can only read Scripture for 2 minutes before the darkness takes over then I read passionately for two minutes.  It means that I throw all of my energies into meditating on the objective truth of the gospel and not the subjectivity of the pit of despair.  It means that when the Lord does reveal to me sin that led to my fall that I engage in faith-fueled repentance. 

If you find yourself in a pit today don’t try to acclimate yourself with your surroundings.  Instead open your eyes and look for the strong hand that’s reaching down to pull you out of this pit.  Trust him. 

Today in Blogworld 6.26.12

Mike Leake

“The Idea of Evangelism Makes Me Uncomfortable”

Trevin Wax tackles the objection that doing evangelism reeks of arrogance and feelings of superiority.  I especially like how he ends Fix the worship problem, and evangelism starts coming naturally.

7 Steps to Avoid Sexual Sin and Stay in Ministry

Dustin Neeley reflects on the all-too-often headlines of pastors disqualifying themselves.  Put these 7 things into place and you’ll be less likely to give sin an opportunity. These are helpful safeguards that every pastor ought to put in place.  I agree with all 7 and would actually add an eighth—“Be enamored with Jesus”.  When our affections for Christ grow cold sin looks sweet.  But when Christ is sweet and we are tasting that the Lord is good sin doesn’t have such an appeal.

Sinners Prayer & The SBC

David Platt responds to the recent dust-up in the SBC over the use and validity of a “sinner’s prayer”.  I appreciate Platt’s words in part 1.  I anxiously await part 2.  I also think Dave Miller makes a good argument at SBC Voices that there is more agreement on this issue than there appears to be.

The Nowness of Obedience

Rebekah Merkle, writing for DG, has a few reflections on the nowness of obedience.  Her central argument is that “it’s flatly impossible to obey God in any other moment than the present”.  Great word. 

If you have ever been awake at night pondering what it would be like to see Mr. Rogers Breakdancing then wait no more:

(HT: Z)