Fruit Check

All weekend the idea of checking our fruit kept coming up: in conversations with each other, with our friends, and even in church. Yesterday, Brandon was talking to me and one of my best friends who was at our house this weekend and was telling us that he thinks he needs to take a break from Facebook. As I listened to the conversation, I really felt convicted that I needed to take a break too.

At this point I probably don't even know all the negative effects of Facebook. I feel like there are many: anxiety, fear, comparing what I have to others, stirring the desires to want and love things of this world, time wasting when I could be doing productive things. I'm sure there are more negatives and probably also some positives in the mix but then I think of this question - Does it produce fruit? Does it draw me closer to people? Does it point those people to Jesus? Would I produce more fruit if I weren't spending so much time on Facebook? The fruit I'm speaking of comes from the Word  - Galations 5:22-23 - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. So... fruit check. Does spending time on Facebook create more love, joy, peace, etc in my life? Right now it feels like no. I do LOVE scrolling. I love being exposed to things I may miss out on if I'm not scrolling. But then what am I missing when I am? 

Brandon said yesterday he read somewhere that if someone discovered a drug that caused you to look at your hand all day - it would be illegal. No one would want to get addicted to a drug that caused you to miss out on the things around you. Right now Facebook is such a habit (and addiction) that I don't even know what I'm missing.  I'm guessing I'm missing moments with my kids, moments with my husband, blog posts and journaling, playing my guitar and worshiping and reading more often, more text messages and phone calls and real conversations with people. 

So - I've decided to deactivate my Facebook. At first I thought maybe I would just delete the app off of my phone but I really just feel like I need to get rid of the space altogether. If you need my number you can e-mail me - old school right? leslie.sheppard.hall@gmail.com. I am going to keep instagram mostly because right now it's like my kid's digital baby book. Also - I do think the things I follow are more filtered on instagram and I have some awesome relationships with people that I never would have had if we didn't keep in touch on instagram. I also follow many pastors and leaders and friends that DO encourage and challenge me to walk more closely with Jesus. So feel free to follow me @leslieshall if you don't want to miss out on the cutest three boys I know. I may try to limit my time on instagram to a certain time of day... but more thoughts on that later.

I feel like I've thought about this before and thought - I could never do that or Why would I want to do that? or I can just stop being on Facebook so much. But in the end this isn't necessarily cutting off something that's inherently bad - it's being intentional about filling my life with more of the eternal things.  Most things that are worth doing are in fact hard. If you never challenge yourself to do hard things, then what are you missing out on?  I just want more Jesus and more of the Word. So when you see me - ask me about it. Feel free to keep me accountable. 

I'm going to try to follow up here in the next few weeks.  Maybe I'll use Facebook again one day or maybe I won't. But for now I'm believing that God's got some awesome things to show me.