It's late at night. You're feeling anxious about [you fill in the blank].
You grab your phone, looking for distraction. You scroll here, scroll there. Looking for some comfort, some connection. Maybe you check your notifications, read a news article, or watch a video. You see something that makes you smile. 30 seconds later, you scroll past something that makes the anxiety clench in your chest yet again. And then, a little farther down your feed, you read something that calms you. Okay, that is what you needed. You drift off to sleep.
You wake up the next morning with the same anxiety. You reach for your phone again. But this time, everything has changed. You scroll and click and check and scroll some more and there is nothing to distract yourself. No comfort, no connections. Just chaos. It all makes you feel worse.
All day long, you feel that anxiety and that compulsion to check again. And while you may find a thing or two that does distract, it doesn't stay the same. It keeps changing. It doesn't keep that anxiety away.
And then, it's late at night, you can't sleep, and you find yourself looking for distraction yet again.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love social media as much as the next guy. It is not all bad. But if you can relate to the cycle I wrote about above, then we need to talk about something.
When you find yourself searching social media for comfort and connection, you may find it. But you may not. Social media is not solid ground.
Let's take it a step farther. Perhaps you look for comfort in real, face to face relationships. Your best friend. Your significant other. Your family. Your children. Nobody can deny that these relationships are important and can bring deep joy.
But what happens when they don't?
Is there anything we can rely on in these ever-changing times?
Here are a few things the Bible has to say about finding strength in the Lord.
- "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding. He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:28-31
- "For you have been a refuge for me, a strong tower in the face of the enemy. I will dwell in your tent forever and take refuge under the shelter of your wings." Psalms 61:3-4
- "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8
How would our lives change if we reached for His Word instead of our phones in those anxious moments? How would our minds change if we closed our eyes and asked Him for peace and stability instead of staring at our ever-changing social media feeds? And imagine how we could point others towards Him if we approached our own insecurities this way?
The world is a crazy place, and we will never find lasting comfort or connection anywhere but in the One who created this world. He wants to hold us firm and safe in His arms, even when (especially when!) the world around us seems to toss and turn.
We just have to run to Him. Over and over. Every time. He will be there. Always has been. Always will be. No matter what.
By Chris Chicago