FOMO. Until about a year ago, I was totally and completely unaware of this phenomenon. So for all the confused readers out there, no, it is not a derogatory term or a curse word and no, you’re not that out of the loop. It’s the fear of missing out. “A pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent.” Social angst characterized by “a desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing.” Overall, it’s a fear of missing good.
Now for vulnerability…FOMO is real in my life. It attaches itself to anything and everything and begins to monopolize my entire thought process. I’ve struggled with this in the past, but as I’m realizing now, this fear only intensified when I decided to get up and leave life as I knew it and “normalcy” for 11 months. It looked like fear of missing out on an entire list of seemingly mundane and routine things:
-Spending time with friends and family back home.
-Supporting my favorite teams and players on game day…there’s the Hawks, Doug McDermott/Bulls, Tasha….you name it.
-Attending concerts and going to the Farmer’s Market.
-Soaking up a variety of seasons and weather patterns. Of fall and apple cider and bonfires with s’mores. Of pumpkin patches in boots and cute sweaters. Of harvest and days in the combine with dad. Of winter and layers of fascinatingly beautiful white snow. Of blanket snuggles and reading books by the fire. Of Christmas radio and baked goods.
-Supporting friends and family with physical presence as they say I do and promise their lives to one another. Of spending the night tearing up the dance floor.
-Sermons and worship tracks spoken in my native language every Sunday.
-Celebrating a multitude of birthdays and holidays.
You get the point. Removal from people and places we deem as normal and comfortable can cause an extreme desire and longing to be back in a state we once were. It can cause FOMO. Now ironically, the fear of missing out itself, also causes us to miss out on what lies directly in front of our faces. Instead of focusing on the incredible life we live and the incredible God we serve, we’re distracted with thoughts and images of what is happening where we aren’t. We’re living in a state of earthly and materialistic FOMO. While the term is young, the issue isn’t. Even Eve yielded to this phenomenon. Unable to navigate the fear that she might be missing out on something, she reached up and pulled the forbidden fruit from the tree. We, too, can be like Eve. It’s time to stop. FOMO is a choice. A choice of negativity. Of the grass being greener on the other side.
Now, I’m not saying all FOMO is bad or wrong. I can’t shake the thought that God wired our hearts to experience FOMO. While the design has been sabotaged by our enemy, what if it was originally programmed into us to drive us to God? What if we turned from sin because it threatened to cause us to miss out on God? What if we felt horror at the thought of missing out on displaying God’s glory? Woah. FOMO for the Lord? An intense fear of missing out on precious time and relationship with the big man upstairs? Dang.
Here’s the challenge: Transitioning from an earthly state of FOMO to one of FOMO with our Father and Creator. Just how different would our lives look if we no longer feared missing out on the things of this world and began to fear that we might be missing out on valuable time with Him? Instead of focusing on earthly treasures, we would be more concerned about what we may be missing out on in His Kingdom. That we might miss out on:
-Reading His word and truth
-Listening to Him speak
-Intimacy and deep connection
-Sharing the Gospel
-Worship and praise giving
-Spiritual gifts
-Fellowship and community
-Prayer and one on one communication
-Unconditional love
-Furthering the Kingdom
-Redemption and grace
-God’s calling for our lives
The list goes on and on, but the point is that while stuck in a state of FOMO for things of this world, we completely miss out on what God has for us. More than that, we fail to acknowledge that in God we have every scrap of good we could ever need. There is no other “good” we are missing. So let’s settle this once and for all. When you have God, you miss nothing. Psalm 16 assures us that there is no good apart from him and in his presence there is fullness of joy. Fullness. No greater joy can be found anywhere else. The solution to our FOMO is to be with God.
“Fear the Lord, you His holy people, for those who fear Him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” Psalm 16:9-10
Let us be so deeply and passionately in love and relationship with our Father that every day we fear we may be missing out on more of Him and the things He’s doing in our lives.
Liz
P.S…My team is now staying in Mae Sot, Thailand near the Thai/Burma border and working with an awesome ministry called Outpour Movement! It’s been incredible getting know and work alongside this awesome organization and team. Can’t wait to share more about it as the month progresses. In the meantime, feel free to check out their website…www.outpourmovement.com!
