Giving Up

Here we sit in the middle-ish of Lent, wondering if we are approaching Good Friday and Easter with the proper level of thought and intent.

Some folks choose to give up something "for Lent". A lot of the time, it's something fairly innocuous (like chocolate, or caffeine) and is meant as only a temporary fast from whatever substance or activity is chosen.

I've known people who have absented themselves from social media as a way to test their commitment to Christ or to help themselves focus on spiritual matters in preparation for Holy Week.

They'll even pull out some Scriptures they feel relate to the role Twitter and Facebook play in their social interactions:

• Titus 3:9  -  Avoid foolish controversies ... and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.
• 1 Timothy 1:3-4  -  Command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths.... Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work.

Truth is...If something is good to give up "for Lent", maybe it would be good to give it up entirely. I'm not necessarily saying to renounce all social media; maybe just stop using them to engage in foolish controversies, eh?