I am not someone who usually struggles with FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Sure there are times when maybe I wished I could have been apart of something, but for the most part I have been content with the decisions I have made regarding how to spend my time. If friends are hanging out
on a Friday night but I already had plans with someone else, I try my hardest to embrace the moment I am in with the person I am with. However, I'd be lying if I said I never struggled with it. Of course I have! We live in the age of FOMO... social media has only perpetuated the problem. We now know when people are hanging out without us or have visited that new ice cream shop we wanted to go to. We have a front row seat to all the things everyone else is doing while we are at home alone on a Friday night again. But the other day I had an epiphany: do I ever struggle with FOMO when it comes to my time with Jesus? So often we find ourselves missing out on what others around us are doing, but what about missing out on what the Lord might have for us? Most of our lives are so busy, and when there is a lull in our schedule we pack it with more things. We no longer allow time to encounter Jesus in our day. And that scares me. We are sure to be missing out on a whole lot He has to say to us.
What if we had the fear of missing out when it came to what God had to say or what He wanted to do? What if instead of packing our schedule so tight, we set aside intentional time to "date" Jesus? What if we had FOMO with Him like we did with our friends? I think our lives would begin to look radically different. We would put priority back on the things that actually matter this side of Heaven.
Jesus calls us to intentional stillness (Psalm 46:10). He commands us to seek His Kingdom first (Matthew 6:33). These commandments aren't all selfish on God's part. Yes, He does want time with us, but He also knows that we need time with Him. For our hearts and souls to be in right alignment with Him, we need to spend intentional time seeking Him. There is nothing and no one that will satisfy us more than He will. Everything else is worth missing out on.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to miss out on what the Lord has for me. I pray that my heart's desire would be to pursue Him and His plan for my life before anything else. I am fearful of what I might miss out on if I shortchange God and go my own way. I know that His way is best. He has good things in store for me if I continue to let Him lead the way. And the only way I can make sure I continue to be in alignment with Him is by setting aside time to pray, worship, and listen. To ensure that I don't miss out on the big things He has for me, I have to make sure I am not missing out on the smaller moments He has for me.
Next time you have the chance to fill your weekend schedule to the max, I encourage you to take a minute and evaluate if maybe your FOMO with friends is getting in the way of experiencing what God has for you. Maybe what He has for you is hanging out with friends and enjoying His community. After all, being in Christ-centered community is another commandment we are given
(Matthew 18:20). But maybe this time all He wants is your undivided attention. Maybe what He has for you is only for you, and something you need to be still to hear. Maybe there is beauty in having FOMO when it comes to God.
"Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!"
1 Chronicles 16:11