By Chris WittsWednesday 18 Dec 2024Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
You probably have heard of these four letters – FOMO. It’s short for fear of missing out. It’s this fear or anxiety that creeps up on us when we think we’re missing out on something like an experience or an opportunity or a relationship. There are many reasons why we can experience Fomo. We want to belong. We want to be seen as valuable. We want to maximize all our opportunities and much more.
This phenomenon, fear of missing out, was first identified back in 1996 by the marketing strategist Dr Dan Herman. He was conducting research and published his research as an academic paper in 2000 in the Journal of Brand Management. Dan Herman believes that this concept has evolved to become more widespread through mobile phone usage, texting and social media. That’s helped flesh out this concept of the fear of missing out. Before the Internet, we had a related phenomenon. Remember this – keeping up with the Joneses? We don’t use that phrase now as much as we used to. We live by our phones and social media, which constantly feed our fear of missing out.
Notice how many times we look at our phones every hour. I need to know what’s going on. I want to see. I don’t want to be left out. To have a smartphone is amazing. But to have the Internet on our phones is also to have immediate access to all the world’s major tragedies. Sorrows, bombings, acts of terrorism. Are we prepared to carry this burden? Is it affecting us? Well, I think it is. But we still want to know more, and our social media is always giving us the chance to compare our life to somebody else’s. Just in case we’re missing out. We like to bond with others, make memories, take photos.
The Bible’s take on FOMO
But here’s an important fact from the Bible. With God’s presence in our lives, we need not fear missing out for with him, we have everything we need. Here was the psalmist in Psalm 34 who expressed it like this. Fear the Lord. For those who fear him, lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Now I think it’s valuable to realise that with God, you have everything you need. There is no FOMO – fear of missing out in Psalm 16. We have this beautiful statement – because he is at my right hand. I will not be shaken. You have made known to me the path of life in your presence. There is fullness of joy at your right hand, there are pleasures forevermore.
So what do we do when we see others involved in something amazing? And we’re afraid I could miss out? In the New Testament in Philippians 4:11-12, Paul shares his message of hope. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Now that’s the answer – Contentment. If I know I should feel content, why is fear of missing out so hard?
Let’s allow those words from Paul to settle in our hearts while we explore the true sources of that fear that causes us to feel that dreaded sense of fear of missing out. Then we will offer a prayer to our heavenly Father and trust Him to guide us toward the contentment that Paul talks about. It really is the only answer. Who wants to be living in that state of anxiety, where you feel you’re missing out on everything. Letting go of our fear of missing out demonstrates that we know our limits, that we’re willing to protect His priorities. That’s God’s priorities for our lives, regardless of what others are doing. Paul was content whether he had a lot or little, and we can be like that. We can thank God for what we already have. This applies not only to money but to friends, our social life, romance and every other sphere of life.
The miracle is that when we thank God and appreciate what we already have, it suddenly becomes enough. In this life, we will always have Jesus with us in all circumstances, in all places. In our future life, we will have heaven with Him. It is ours to enjoy forever. It’s impossible for us as God’s children to miss out.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father in the world we live, it’s easy to fall into this trap like I’m missing out. Help me to remember that in your Word, I can find hope. In times when I’m in need or when I’ve got lots of things. I choose contentment. And when I feel like I’m missing out on an opportunity, help me to realise that everything has a season. The season that I’m living in now is a gift from you. And I have so much to be grateful for. Amen.