“And He said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property on reckless living.” (Luke 15:11-13)
Progress can be a wonderful thing to both witness and experience. Advancements made in technology, medicine, safety and so on are intended to improve the quality of our lives!
More have them than not … yes … we’re talking about cell phones! No, this is not some sort of rant by an older generation, non-technical, grumpy old man who has seen more days behind than those that may lie ahead!
There might even be someone who is reading this who has never heard of FOMO. The acronym FOMO, defined in its most simple way, is the “Fear Of Missing Out.” Exactly what we fear missing out on may vary from one person to another … but we’ve all come in contact with this contagious and potentially deadly virus!
Our culture … the media … and most importantly the well-planned efforts of our adversary to distract us from what is really important in life is downright scary, and the consequences can have eternal ramifications!
FOMO is not something new or characteristic of our age. It could be argued that it goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden and the suggestions the Serpent made to Eve that would eventually capture Adam as well … the need to know! FOMO … the fear of missing out introduced itself to our world!
Now, before you stop reading this blog thinking ‘I know where this is going … I’ve heard this before’ … please stop for just a moment and think with me about these things.
It’s not just our young people who feel the need to be available and have access to their friends 24/7. Adults, you and I, can be and are guilty of the same thing. Perhaps with other need-to-know information and updates, but nevertheless … we want to know it now!
Consider the following all-too-familiar scenario: You’re sitting somewhere … whether in your office, your doctor’s office, your home, the airport, at the table with your family or friends… and yes, even driving in your car. Your phone lights up. Your phone starts to vibrate. What do you do? Do you ignore it? Doubtful!
If we were honest with ourselves and genuinely tried to count how many times a day we check our smartphones for the various messages, updates, texts, etc. … we just might be surprised! Would your number of looks be singular, multiple, or even to infinity and beyond?
Yes, my friends, the fear of missing out (FOMO) is sadly a real challenge to our lives, relationships and even to our souls!
Without any fear or reservation, may I suggest to you that the real FOMO is to reach the end of life … face the Lord in Judgment … and hear Him say to us, “Depart from Me, you who work iniquity” and be ushered off to spend eternity with the Devil and all the others in life who feared the wrong fear! To forevermore miss out on the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power.
“So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12, ESV)
Bill Fairchild, Jr
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