Have you heard of F.O.M.O.? It has started to appear in dictionaries. It’s an acronym: “fear of missing out.” Apparently there is an entire group of people who are afraid to miss out on the latest trend, post, gossip, news story or event.
As a result, they never disconnect. They have to stay online, track everything, read the latest book, know the most recent fad, heed the new “insight” from guru X or celebrity style.
In the words of Charlie Brown, good grief!
The only way to truly miss out on what matters most is to miss out on Jesus.
This is liberating! Fads rise and fall. Styles change. People come and go. Centring your life on something untethered is casting yourself to the wind.
Enter Jesus: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Mark 13:31).
Is it fun to check in with what’s happening, read through a magazine, or watch an awards show? Sure. But when we are afraid of missing out, or when we think that our status, worth or intelligence depends on how “in the know” we are, we’ve started to head down a bad road.
The only way to truly miss out on what matters most is to miss out on Jesus.
His words, love, purposes and power can never fail.
Don’t miss out. Are the daily rhythms of your life moving you in his direction?
Notes:
–My latest PODCAST is called “How can I make rest happen when I feel like I’m on a hamster wheel?” This was a question I answered at the Q & A Forum at Westminster Church on December 5, 2021. Click here to listen, or look for ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’ wherever you subscribe to podcasts: iTunes (Apple), Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or TuneIn.
–The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on January 17, 2022.
–Bible quotes are from the NIV.
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