FA+
Shop
Social Media, and Giving Your Best at All Times to Glorif...
3 years ago
Social Media, and Giving Your Best at All Times to Glorify the LORD (full title)
Greetings to my brothers and sisters out there. I pray you are all doing well and have Lord Jesus Christ's blessings in your lives.
This journal that I am writing to you will be on a couple different topics. They are: social media, and how it can be used and play a part in your life that can be positive or negative. Also, how important it is to remember that in all that you do from sunrise to sunset, do these things to and for the glory of the LORD.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Few of us can resist the siren call of social media. The temptation to see what all our friends are doing or show them what we are doing can lead to a great deal of our lives spent sitting either in front of a computer or smartphone. Technology can be a wonderful thing. It allows us to communicate and stay in touch with friends and family that we may otherwise have no way of communicating with. But with many things - there can be a negative if we become too enamored with the activity. I know that within the furry community, there is a strong desire to be known to at least some degree among many furs. Whether known for your character by means of commissioned art, or a fursuit, or by your activities (blogging, roleplay online, etc), many furries sometimes seek to gather a large group of friends to whom they can go to when they are looking to refill their companionship meter. Though, I would argue it is sometimes better to have fewer, more reliable friends versus having a large group of friends that you do not often interact with.
So why does social media have such a powerful influence over so many people (Facebook, Furaffinity, Instagram, etc)...? I believe it is because there is a natural human desire in all of us to connect with and spend time with other people. In the beginning of the Holy Bible, the LORD comments:
And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. - Genesis 1:31
But not much further in, we see an instance where the LORD comments as to something not being good:
18The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” -Genesis 2:18
This verse shows us that having social connections and contact with others is very important for our overall mental and spiritual health. It's probably not necessarily a bad thing to try and make friends on social media - but we have to take into consideration that a lot of these people we add to our friends lists in these online meeting areas are people that stand a good chance of not going much further beyond online friendships. Online friendships can be great and help us to feel loved and appreciated, but we have to be careful to not let these relationships substitute themselves entirely for any and all real world interactions where we interact with others. Some of us may be shy, or homebodies, so these social media areas can be a wonderful way for us to have social interactions with others. I consider myself in such a category. I don't really have a cadre of friends in the real world that I spend time with. So basically the only "real world" friends I have are those that I know from my online bible study group sessions as well as the group of people I spend time with when I go to church on the weekends. Although the lack of real world friendships can leave me feeling a little lonely at times, I do manage to keep myself spiritually healthy by focusing on these things: Looking after my mother, who is older in age, reading books, teaching and mentoring others in the gospel to the best of my abilities, working at my job, and running errands. I also have a cat that craves attention and friendship.
Prior to giving my life over to Christ I spent a great deal of time chasing that high of seeking more friends for my friend groups on social media sites. This was usually limited to, back in the day - Livejournal, and later on, Furaffinity and areas where you could roleplay with other people. Now, with a strong desire to obey the Lord Jesus Christ and mentor others - the desire to pad my friends lists with names or to roleplay with others, or play computer games just doesn't compel me like it did in the past. It's not that I feel that those activities are necessarily bad, I just feel that as a servant of Christ my time is much better spent looking after family and the friends I do have online, as well as studying theology and the gospel so I can better mentor others who are young in the faith or without any spiritual guidance whatsoever, and in essence, at the whims of evil and sin. I simply cannot justify spending too much of my time on myself in a way that doesn't have an ultimate goal of trying to help and guide others away from sin and the repercussions of it.
This is part of being a servant of Jesus Christ. It changes your priorities. Where once you found pleasure and enjoyment in the things of the world, you no longer look at these activities the same way. You gain a sort of maturing in wisdom where you realize every day you live is 24 hours granted to you by the LORD to have the potential of making a difference in the world.
Bar graph showing smartphone use by hours/month.
According to this bar graph, many of us are spending at the very least, 2 hours a day on smart phones-social media. Two hours a day, 60 hours a month that could be spent on other hobbies or activities.
This bar graph shows that younger adults seem to be more susceptible to seeing social media as more important in their lives. As time goes on and as we grow older, it seems that we either stop seeking the love and affirmation from these social media sites and instead receive it from families or perhaps through other means (Church, bible study, or hobby groups..). I believe as time marches on we become a little wiser and see the general futility of placing so much importance in what others think of us online. True, we all want to feel loved and accepted by our peers - but at what cost?
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? - Mark 8:36
If you have to change who you are at the core to be considered approved of and accepted by others online, is it really worth it? If you look back on yourself at the end of your life, how much time will you have spent in social media? Moderation in all things! Hopefully we will have practiced discipline in our lives and enjoy social media - but in a responsible way that does not border on obsession to feel a need or desire to be loved or accepted. Social media can be great if used for good reasons, such as journals like these - which although do take up a portion of my time - it is time donated in the hopes of helping others mature and become wiser in what they do and how they navigate through their lives. I recall a time when I was younger and how easy it was to get swept up in some sort of drama of the day. The furry community did not have a shortage of it when I was in my twenties. Hopefully this is not still the case. Such a waste of time it is to become a part of drama that will be forgotten before the week's end.
I believe another reason we can get pulled in by the call of social media is the fear of being alone. For many of us, being alone can be one of those fears that many people might not even realize is there, deep within their sub-conscious. I think this is especially valid when we are younger in age. I know when I was younger I wanted to be loved and appreciated by someone so badly! I did not have a proper teaching of the gospel, so I really had no idea the Lord Jesus Christ was watching over me. As far as I knew, I was entirely alone and it was all up to me if I wanted to change that in any way. Now, knowing what I know, being a servant of Jesus Christ and the LORD - I understand that being alone can have beneficial qualities. I believe you have a much better chance of, how to phrase it, "hearing, sensing, feeling, or otherwise experiencing the LORD". When you are alone, you have less distractions. It's just you and the Lord. In that quiet time, in that moment in your life when you can decide entirely what to focus your mind and will and being on without distraction - this is when you can reach out to God and perhaps be still enough in mind and body to detect the answer to your call, because I don't believe that the LORD is in the business of responding to our calls loudly, in a way that is glaring or loud (although He can and has been known to respond this way, if He chooses..). Remember the following bible verse:
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends." - Revelation 3:20
It does not say that the LORD will knock loudly, or use a battering ram to get your attention. You have to listen, and listen carefully. You must show the LORD that you are ready to have a relationship with Him in your life. Having a relationship does not mean 'Respond to me now, since I am curious this very moment, and I'll get back to you later when I want to hear from you again.' - no, it means you are willing to devote your life, your days, your waking moments, your mind, your thoughts, your heart, your body, your ALL to the LORD in all that you do and all that you are. That is the kind of relationship that the LORD seeks from us. It's really not hard to do - but so man y of us have been so used to living our lives without having Him in it, that just the thought of repurposing our priorities and desires around Him may seem scary, or like we're getting a bad deal and anyone who is trying to sell us on it is someone not to be trusted. So much easier to live one's life when you get to be your own Lord, one might think. But it is folly to think this way. And the unfortunate truth is you will not realize how wrong you were to live your life without God until the very day you decide to take the leap of faith and start living for Him and not just yourself. Then, slowly, the more you walk the walk, the more you obey and serve others, will the truth unfold before you - a sort of supernatural wisdom that gets put into your mind by the Lord. Hidden knowledge and a way of seeing things that remains hidden to those who walk in darkness and in rebellion to obeying the will of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I'll give a few examples of some things that can potentially be done with our free time instead of spending so much of it on smartphones and social media, and all these things can be done with a desire and purpose to glorify God, by showing that as His servant you are dedicating some of your time in this life that has been given to you by doing positive things that are beneficial and helpful to others.
Walking your neighborhood/Trash pickup
This activity has three beneficial qualities to it. First, if you start walking for 1-2 hours a day, you will gain massive health benefits. You will be healthier, you will feel better both physically and mentally, because you will generally be in much better shape. This is a massive confidence booster. You will be showing the LORD that you value the body He has given you by trying to take good care of it with exercise. Walking around the neighborhood can also introduce you to other neighbors and can be nice for social interaction. If you really want to go the extra mile, try taking one or more big trash bags with you, and pick up trash as you go. You can choose to clean up your neighborhood, or if you want to show your love for your city and brother and sister, you could even walk a little farther once you are more accustomed to long walks with the purpose of picking up trash in and around the store front areas that are near your neighborhood. How often do you see anyone doing something like this? Probably not often. But you can give glory to God as His servant by showing your willingness to dedicate a certain amount of time out of your life doing these things for Him and His children. You are awesome!
Join a bible study group!
I have a bible study group that I participate in every Wednesday evening. It requires time out of my day each week to study for the study session, as well as being in the 1 hour session itself later in the evening. Although I have to sacrifice time out of this day each week for this that could be spent doing other things - the spiritual food/wisdom I receive from participating in this bible study is unparalleled. Many churches have the option of bible study groups during various days out of the week, so you can choose a day that is good for you. There are also online study groups for those who either can't or just don't have the free amount of time to leave the house for it, so in cases like mine - you can study for bible study, and then hop on through a zoom call to discuss the gospel with others and become more wise in understanding the verses and how to apply them in your life. It is time well spent, and will help you a great deal in your walk with Jesus Christ. You will be more likely and able to "keep to the narrow path" which leads to life and much less likely to wander over to the broad path, which leads to destruction - and many are walking the broad path these days.
Watching over the garden/animal friends in your area
This may be more applicable to those who are not in apartments, but if you have a yard and would like, you can show dedication to the Lord (and your parents, if you are younger), by helping to take care of the flowers and plants. Pull weeds so that they do not overtake and strangle the flowers in your yard. You can place fertilizer on the grass, remove weeds/growth around automatic sprinklers, or build a mesh/canvas overhang over sunlight/heat sensitive plants and flowers so that they can flourish and thrive even on these hot 90-100F summer days. My mother has some plants and flowers that started to wilt as soon as it began to get really hot - so I spent a little bit of time making a mesh/fabric overhang that still allows sunlight through to them, but not direct sunlight, so the plants can receive sunlight but not the glaring heat and sun of a hot summer's day. There is no way these flowers would have made it through the summer had I not done this - but because I took the time to look after them, they are happy little plants and flowers who show their happiness with vibrant growth and flowers, even despite these hot summer days. I do believe the LORD will appreciate His servant who has the love and dedication for all life to look after life that can't easily reach out and ask for help. You could also build or acquire birdhouses, or bird feeders to house and feed birds. I feed birds because they are the Lord's critters, and also because I recall this specific bible verse:
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? - Matthew 6:26
Our bird friends appreciate your love and kindness.
I like to believe that by putting out a little bird food each day, I am doing my Father's will in feeding and looking after them. I also have a little shaded/covered area that the birds can rest under if the day gets too hot, as well as little water bowls that I have seen them drink from and wash in. These water bowls require changing daily. I do all this, as well as feed the squirrels when I see them in the yard. These activities require time out of my day, but I believe it is giving glory to the Lord by showing dedication and love for His creation. So by doing these things you will be engaging with and working as a servant of our Father in Heaven. Think of the love and appreciation and happiness it will give Him that He can look upon you and see you taking care of the animals that come into your life showing trust and friendship. All the materials for these things can usually be found at a Home Depot or big chain supply store.
Volunteer for a charity
Instead of spending all these hours in social media - you can show humility and love to the Lord by working for a charity. There are many charity organizations and groups out there. Soup kitchens, local food pantries, organizations that work in assisted living facilities where you spend time with elderly who have no family that comes to visit them. There are all kinds of ways you can spend some of that free time that will directly help out others. Doing this will flex and strengthen your spiritual muscles, mold and shape you into a better servant of Christ and help to prepare you for the kind of person the LORD wants you to be when you go to stand before the LORD and be granted entry into His eternal kingdom.
Read books
Twilight is reading a book.
Read! Read books! Read even more books! In a time where there are just so many distractions, shows, media, music, and so on - does anyone ever make time anymore to read books and to become more informed about the world around them? Sure, we are made to read books when we are in school or college, but we usually do this because we want to ensure we pass the course. I have my Dad to thank for giving me the wonderful attribute of enjoying books. My Dad was always reading books. He could usually finish a good sized book in about two or three days. I don't think I've ever come across his equal to this day. He left me quite a library of books to go through, and I am so grateful that among the books he left me was The Holy Bible. Thank you, Dad!
Your local library most likely has all sorts of books that you could work through. Although you may not (initially) receive the same level of pleasure from reading books that you get from social medial, youtube, films and shows and all that sort of thing - you will certainly be likely to learn a lot more about the world in which you are a part of if you dedicate time to reading books. Someone who spends 60 hours a month reading books, depending on the topics they choose, will be much more informed in these areas versus someone who spends the same amount of time instead on the other areas we have discussed.
Also, if you have a love of reading, might I suggest setting up a little free library in your yard for your neighbors to enjoy? I managed to set up a little library of books for my neighbors by coming across an old nightstand/furniture piece that someone tossed out on a sidewalk one day. I had to struggle to get it into the back of the car (it was heavy) - and it took a lot of time to clean. Someone had spilled melted wax all over the inner cubby-hole area right under the top of the furniture. It was a labor of love but I eventually managed to scrape and remove all the melted wax. It started out with only a handful of books that I was able to provide to get it started. These are known as 'take a book or leave a book' libraries. You can take a book if you like, or leave a book, or both. It's up to you. Just enjoy it!
Here are some pictures:
An external shot of the free library.
Free library with panels open. Look at all those wonderful books!
There are books for adults. There are books for children. I would say at least 75% of the books you see were donated by kind neighbors and strangers. How incredible is that? So if you like books, why not spend a little bit of your time working on a little free library to share books with neighbors and strangers? In return for your kindness, you will sometimes find that when you go out to check on your library that some kind soul thought highly of what you did and left a book for you as well!
Thank you for taking the time to read this entry. May the Lord Jesus Christ watch over and bless you all!
Greetings to my brothers and sisters out there. I pray you are all doing well and have Lord Jesus Christ's blessings in your lives.
This journal that I am writing to you will be on a couple different topics. They are: social media, and how it can be used and play a part in your life that can be positive or negative. Also, how important it is to remember that in all that you do from sunrise to sunset, do these things to and for the glory of the LORD.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Few of us can resist the siren call of social media. The temptation to see what all our friends are doing or show them what we are doing can lead to a great deal of our lives spent sitting either in front of a computer or smartphone. Technology can be a wonderful thing. It allows us to communicate and stay in touch with friends and family that we may otherwise have no way of communicating with. But with many things - there can be a negative if we become too enamored with the activity. I know that within the furry community, there is a strong desire to be known to at least some degree among many furs. Whether known for your character by means of commissioned art, or a fursuit, or by your activities (blogging, roleplay online, etc), many furries sometimes seek to gather a large group of friends to whom they can go to when they are looking to refill their companionship meter. Though, I would argue it is sometimes better to have fewer, more reliable friends versus having a large group of friends that you do not often interact with.
So why does social media have such a powerful influence over so many people (Facebook, Furaffinity, Instagram, etc)...? I believe it is because there is a natural human desire in all of us to connect with and spend time with other people. In the beginning of the Holy Bible, the LORD comments:
And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. - Genesis 1:31
But not much further in, we see an instance where the LORD comments as to something not being good:
18The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” -Genesis 2:18
This verse shows us that having social connections and contact with others is very important for our overall mental and spiritual health. It's probably not necessarily a bad thing to try and make friends on social media - but we have to take into consideration that a lot of these people we add to our friends lists in these online meeting areas are people that stand a good chance of not going much further beyond online friendships. Online friendships can be great and help us to feel loved and appreciated, but we have to be careful to not let these relationships substitute themselves entirely for any and all real world interactions where we interact with others. Some of us may be shy, or homebodies, so these social media areas can be a wonderful way for us to have social interactions with others. I consider myself in such a category. I don't really have a cadre of friends in the real world that I spend time with. So basically the only "real world" friends I have are those that I know from my online bible study group sessions as well as the group of people I spend time with when I go to church on the weekends. Although the lack of real world friendships can leave me feeling a little lonely at times, I do manage to keep myself spiritually healthy by focusing on these things: Looking after my mother, who is older in age, reading books, teaching and mentoring others in the gospel to the best of my abilities, working at my job, and running errands. I also have a cat that craves attention and friendship.
Prior to giving my life over to Christ I spent a great deal of time chasing that high of seeking more friends for my friend groups on social media sites. This was usually limited to, back in the day - Livejournal, and later on, Furaffinity and areas where you could roleplay with other people. Now, with a strong desire to obey the Lord Jesus Christ and mentor others - the desire to pad my friends lists with names or to roleplay with others, or play computer games just doesn't compel me like it did in the past. It's not that I feel that those activities are necessarily bad, I just feel that as a servant of Christ my time is much better spent looking after family and the friends I do have online, as well as studying theology and the gospel so I can better mentor others who are young in the faith or without any spiritual guidance whatsoever, and in essence, at the whims of evil and sin. I simply cannot justify spending too much of my time on myself in a way that doesn't have an ultimate goal of trying to help and guide others away from sin and the repercussions of it.
This is part of being a servant of Jesus Christ. It changes your priorities. Where once you found pleasure and enjoyment in the things of the world, you no longer look at these activities the same way. You gain a sort of maturing in wisdom where you realize every day you live is 24 hours granted to you by the LORD to have the potential of making a difference in the world.
Bar graph showing smartphone use by hours/month.
According to this bar graph, many of us are spending at the very least, 2 hours a day on smart phones-social media. Two hours a day, 60 hours a month that could be spent on other hobbies or activities.
This bar graph shows that younger adults seem to be more susceptible to seeing social media as more important in their lives. As time goes on and as we grow older, it seems that we either stop seeking the love and affirmation from these social media sites and instead receive it from families or perhaps through other means (Church, bible study, or hobby groups..). I believe as time marches on we become a little wiser and see the general futility of placing so much importance in what others think of us online. True, we all want to feel loved and accepted by our peers - but at what cost?
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? - Mark 8:36
If you have to change who you are at the core to be considered approved of and accepted by others online, is it really worth it? If you look back on yourself at the end of your life, how much time will you have spent in social media? Moderation in all things! Hopefully we will have practiced discipline in our lives and enjoy social media - but in a responsible way that does not border on obsession to feel a need or desire to be loved or accepted. Social media can be great if used for good reasons, such as journals like these - which although do take up a portion of my time - it is time donated in the hopes of helping others mature and become wiser in what they do and how they navigate through their lives. I recall a time when I was younger and how easy it was to get swept up in some sort of drama of the day. The furry community did not have a shortage of it when I was in my twenties. Hopefully this is not still the case. Such a waste of time it is to become a part of drama that will be forgotten before the week's end.
I believe another reason we can get pulled in by the call of social media is the fear of being alone. For many of us, being alone can be one of those fears that many people might not even realize is there, deep within their sub-conscious. I think this is especially valid when we are younger in age. I know when I was younger I wanted to be loved and appreciated by someone so badly! I did not have a proper teaching of the gospel, so I really had no idea the Lord Jesus Christ was watching over me. As far as I knew, I was entirely alone and it was all up to me if I wanted to change that in any way. Now, knowing what I know, being a servant of Jesus Christ and the LORD - I understand that being alone can have beneficial qualities. I believe you have a much better chance of, how to phrase it, "hearing, sensing, feeling, or otherwise experiencing the LORD". When you are alone, you have less distractions. It's just you and the Lord. In that quiet time, in that moment in your life when you can decide entirely what to focus your mind and will and being on without distraction - this is when you can reach out to God and perhaps be still enough in mind and body to detect the answer to your call, because I don't believe that the LORD is in the business of responding to our calls loudly, in a way that is glaring or loud (although He can and has been known to respond this way, if He chooses..). Remember the following bible verse:
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends." - Revelation 3:20
It does not say that the LORD will knock loudly, or use a battering ram to get your attention. You have to listen, and listen carefully. You must show the LORD that you are ready to have a relationship with Him in your life. Having a relationship does not mean 'Respond to me now, since I am curious this very moment, and I'll get back to you later when I want to hear from you again.' - no, it means you are willing to devote your life, your days, your waking moments, your mind, your thoughts, your heart, your body, your ALL to the LORD in all that you do and all that you are. That is the kind of relationship that the LORD seeks from us. It's really not hard to do - but so man y of us have been so used to living our lives without having Him in it, that just the thought of repurposing our priorities and desires around Him may seem scary, or like we're getting a bad deal and anyone who is trying to sell us on it is someone not to be trusted. So much easier to live one's life when you get to be your own Lord, one might think. But it is folly to think this way. And the unfortunate truth is you will not realize how wrong you were to live your life without God until the very day you decide to take the leap of faith and start living for Him and not just yourself. Then, slowly, the more you walk the walk, the more you obey and serve others, will the truth unfold before you - a sort of supernatural wisdom that gets put into your mind by the Lord. Hidden knowledge and a way of seeing things that remains hidden to those who walk in darkness and in rebellion to obeying the will of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I'll give a few examples of some things that can potentially be done with our free time instead of spending so much of it on smartphones and social media, and all these things can be done with a desire and purpose to glorify God, by showing that as His servant you are dedicating some of your time in this life that has been given to you by doing positive things that are beneficial and helpful to others.
Walking your neighborhood/Trash pickup
This activity has three beneficial qualities to it. First, if you start walking for 1-2 hours a day, you will gain massive health benefits. You will be healthier, you will feel better both physically and mentally, because you will generally be in much better shape. This is a massive confidence booster. You will be showing the LORD that you value the body He has given you by trying to take good care of it with exercise. Walking around the neighborhood can also introduce you to other neighbors and can be nice for social interaction. If you really want to go the extra mile, try taking one or more big trash bags with you, and pick up trash as you go. You can choose to clean up your neighborhood, or if you want to show your love for your city and brother and sister, you could even walk a little farther once you are more accustomed to long walks with the purpose of picking up trash in and around the store front areas that are near your neighborhood. How often do you see anyone doing something like this? Probably not often. But you can give glory to God as His servant by showing your willingness to dedicate a certain amount of time out of your life doing these things for Him and His children. You are awesome!
Join a bible study group!
I have a bible study group that I participate in every Wednesday evening. It requires time out of my day each week to study for the study session, as well as being in the 1 hour session itself later in the evening. Although I have to sacrifice time out of this day each week for this that could be spent doing other things - the spiritual food/wisdom I receive from participating in this bible study is unparalleled. Many churches have the option of bible study groups during various days out of the week, so you can choose a day that is good for you. There are also online study groups for those who either can't or just don't have the free amount of time to leave the house for it, so in cases like mine - you can study for bible study, and then hop on through a zoom call to discuss the gospel with others and become more wise in understanding the verses and how to apply them in your life. It is time well spent, and will help you a great deal in your walk with Jesus Christ. You will be more likely and able to "keep to the narrow path" which leads to life and much less likely to wander over to the broad path, which leads to destruction - and many are walking the broad path these days.
Watching over the garden/animal friends in your area
This may be more applicable to those who are not in apartments, but if you have a yard and would like, you can show dedication to the Lord (and your parents, if you are younger), by helping to take care of the flowers and plants. Pull weeds so that they do not overtake and strangle the flowers in your yard. You can place fertilizer on the grass, remove weeds/growth around automatic sprinklers, or build a mesh/canvas overhang over sunlight/heat sensitive plants and flowers so that they can flourish and thrive even on these hot 90-100F summer days. My mother has some plants and flowers that started to wilt as soon as it began to get really hot - so I spent a little bit of time making a mesh/fabric overhang that still allows sunlight through to them, but not direct sunlight, so the plants can receive sunlight but not the glaring heat and sun of a hot summer's day. There is no way these flowers would have made it through the summer had I not done this - but because I took the time to look after them, they are happy little plants and flowers who show their happiness with vibrant growth and flowers, even despite these hot summer days. I do believe the LORD will appreciate His servant who has the love and dedication for all life to look after life that can't easily reach out and ask for help. You could also build or acquire birdhouses, or bird feeders to house and feed birds. I feed birds because they are the Lord's critters, and also because I recall this specific bible verse:
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? - Matthew 6:26
Our bird friends appreciate your love and kindness.
I like to believe that by putting out a little bird food each day, I am doing my Father's will in feeding and looking after them. I also have a little shaded/covered area that the birds can rest under if the day gets too hot, as well as little water bowls that I have seen them drink from and wash in. These water bowls require changing daily. I do all this, as well as feed the squirrels when I see them in the yard. These activities require time out of my day, but I believe it is giving glory to the Lord by showing dedication and love for His creation. So by doing these things you will be engaging with and working as a servant of our Father in Heaven. Think of the love and appreciation and happiness it will give Him that He can look upon you and see you taking care of the animals that come into your life showing trust and friendship. All the materials for these things can usually be found at a Home Depot or big chain supply store.
Volunteer for a charity
Instead of spending all these hours in social media - you can show humility and love to the Lord by working for a charity. There are many charity organizations and groups out there. Soup kitchens, local food pantries, organizations that work in assisted living facilities where you spend time with elderly who have no family that comes to visit them. There are all kinds of ways you can spend some of that free time that will directly help out others. Doing this will flex and strengthen your spiritual muscles, mold and shape you into a better servant of Christ and help to prepare you for the kind of person the LORD wants you to be when you go to stand before the LORD and be granted entry into His eternal kingdom.
Read books
Twilight is reading a book.
Read! Read books! Read even more books! In a time where there are just so many distractions, shows, media, music, and so on - does anyone ever make time anymore to read books and to become more informed about the world around them? Sure, we are made to read books when we are in school or college, but we usually do this because we want to ensure we pass the course. I have my Dad to thank for giving me the wonderful attribute of enjoying books. My Dad was always reading books. He could usually finish a good sized book in about two or three days. I don't think I've ever come across his equal to this day. He left me quite a library of books to go through, and I am so grateful that among the books he left me was The Holy Bible. Thank you, Dad!
Your local library most likely has all sorts of books that you could work through. Although you may not (initially) receive the same level of pleasure from reading books that you get from social medial, youtube, films and shows and all that sort of thing - you will certainly be likely to learn a lot more about the world in which you are a part of if you dedicate time to reading books. Someone who spends 60 hours a month reading books, depending on the topics they choose, will be much more informed in these areas versus someone who spends the same amount of time instead on the other areas we have discussed.
Also, if you have a love of reading, might I suggest setting up a little free library in your yard for your neighbors to enjoy? I managed to set up a little library of books for my neighbors by coming across an old nightstand/furniture piece that someone tossed out on a sidewalk one day. I had to struggle to get it into the back of the car (it was heavy) - and it took a lot of time to clean. Someone had spilled melted wax all over the inner cubby-hole area right under the top of the furniture. It was a labor of love but I eventually managed to scrape and remove all the melted wax. It started out with only a handful of books that I was able to provide to get it started. These are known as 'take a book or leave a book' libraries. You can take a book if you like, or leave a book, or both. It's up to you. Just enjoy it!
Here are some pictures:
An external shot of the free library.
Free library with panels open. Look at all those wonderful books!
There are books for adults. There are books for children. I would say at least 75% of the books you see were donated by kind neighbors and strangers. How incredible is that? So if you like books, why not spend a little bit of your time working on a little free library to share books with neighbors and strangers? In return for your kindness, you will sometimes find that when you go out to check on your library that some kind soul thought highly of what you did and left a book for you as well!
Thank you for taking the time to read this entry. May the Lord Jesus Christ watch over and bless you all!
