I was listening to a podcast today called In The Midst by Brooke Lee. (Listen here) The episode (S3E3 “Voices”) talked about distinguishing the different voices and flood of information we are exposed to on a daily basis. First, Brooke has the listener take a moment to think about all the voices we hear, without attaching any judgment to them. Think about it…we are surrounded by noise and lies. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat. All of those platforms bring images, voices, sound, and noise into our brains. Not to mention people in our lives. Spouses, family members, kids, friends, coaches, bosses, colleagues, and so on.

We hear all this noise, but who do we actually listen to? I know who we should listen to…the voice of God. But if we are filling our heads with all the other voices it is really hard to discern the true voice of God.

Reject The Lies

It is important to know yourself and know how you normally best hear God’s voice. Is it in your room? Your car? In nature? The shower? On a run? Wherever you feel certain that you clearly hear God’s voice that is where you should go regularly to recharge and refill your heart and mind. And the other spaces? The other spaces that bring confusion, comparison, deception, lies, and doubt? Try to limit your time in those spaces so they don’t become your truth. Practice filling that extra space with time in the Word. That is where the truth resides.

I know it is not easy. For sure, I find myself believing all sorts of lies from the enemy and from other people, whether bad-intentioned or not, in my life. I have to take a step back and search for the truths of my identity, of who God says I am.

Here are some helpful tips for purging social media, found on healthline.com

Don’t Believe The Lies: Delete The Apps

I do this often. If I find I am on Instagram too much I just delete it for a little while. I have even given it up for 40 days for lent before. It really is a great reset and clears your mind to think about things that actually matter…like your worth in Christ.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14)

Take On A New Habit

I absolutely love a good fiction book. Especially a murder mystery or a Nicholas Sparks-esque love story. If I have a good book I find myself mindlessly scrolling less and less on social media. Especially at night. Timeto make reading a habit again!

Scroll Past Political Posts

This is actually really easy for me to do. Politics can be polarizing and paralyzing and I am able to resist the temptation. But I know a lot of people that are obsessive about the news, especially lately. You can take a fast from politics and the news the same way you fast from social media.

Find Positive News To Follow

“’Try to balance the negative information with the good stuff. There is joy and positive news out there if you look. In the midst of the beginning of COVID-19 lockdowns, I followed the hashtag #COVIDKindness, which had lots of positive stories,’ said Santos.” most news these days is really depressing, tense, and disappointing. But that doesn’t mean good news doesn’t exist. Search uplifting hashtags and follow positive new accounts!