Hi Hiatus
Something happened to me recently that I didn't think was possible. I nearly let the distraction of social media ruin me.
It starts off fun. A new way to engage with friends and open the door to new ones. It gives us a glimpse into the lives of those we will probably never meet and of course allows us all to become the title we weren't interviewed for. THE BOSS. It became a part of my daily if not hourly or on a bad day every 10mins of life.
Whilst what you tend to see on my Instagram page caption wise has mainly been inspired by God, I had already begun to be more tuned into the 'sauce' than the source. I had somehow swapped my Holy Bible for Insta bible. Sure I still attended church 3 times a week and shared faith inspiring post’s over sheer narcissism. But the rest of my time was not spent seeking God first like I should do and allowing Him to add everything else onto me. It had turned into the complete opposite.
Wake up - Scroll Insta, check Snapchat, check Twitter, scroll Insta again, read and giggle at my dm's, post a scripture I barely skimmed from my bible on Snapchat to help others with The Word (having not meditated on it myself), reply to my WhatsApp messages, scroll on Insta AGAIN and spend maybe another 30 minutes on top of the hour already wasted on this unfulfilling routine.
I'd then spend my afternoon trying to figure out how to strengthen my current business, how to start the others, how to boost my finances, how can I afford all these 'must have' items, what am I having for dinner? Because breakfast is definitely out the window at 2 pm whilst failing to realize that I have been serving myself on a silver platter to the devil giving him an easy meal of me!! WOW.
It had got to a stage where I couldn’t even rebuke the enemy I foolishly befriended. I was tag teaming with him to knock myself out and with me being distracted online choosing to frazzle my brain cells watching other people’s lives and not spending that MUCH NEEDED alone time with God, it was no wonder 7 days without prayer made one weak. I could deliver a word to my friends and family when they faced troubles but when it concerned myself my mind was blank; the word wouldn’t come out. My prayer life was DEAD.
With my prayer life visiting the cemetery and my bible closed, it began to affect my progress, my thoughts towards myself and others. I became irritated almost to the point of torment. I actually hated social media and the fact that I wasn’t posting as regular with Holy Spirit inspired captions yet I clung to it at every opportunity. I would wonder (not pray; but wonder) for hours, ‘God give me a word’ still with my bible closed and with the clutter I had stored up in my head from too much online interaction I couldn’t even hear God telling me ‘SNAP out of it and CHAT with me, get your FACE in my BOOK and seek me INSTAntly. #Bars
I hit rock bottom.
But thankfully and ONLY by His grace found Jesus there again, waiting for me to tap Him in. Even though I had made a mess of myself, turned my face away and slowly became someone else. He was willing to forgive, clean me up, give me another chance, show me my errors and get me back to being Dara.
My advice to everyone reading this; Christian or not, who may have found themselves in this subconsciously draining personality altering situation and have had a Eureka! moment after reading this UNPLUG. If you find yourself comparing your life, not getting through your own to-do-list, not praying, feeling dejected or have the urge to constantly have your phone in your hand hopping in and out of each app again I say UNPLUG.
Take some time, go on a hiatus and live real life without the need to be online. Not only has my prayer life and relationship with God been restored *HALLELUJAH* I have finally managed to birth something which has been a long desire of mine which is this blog (please don’t call me a blogger lol) and it feels right because it’s me.
if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land - 2 Chronicles7:14