Does Your “Fear of Missing Out” Distract You from Christ?

                                                                     

Do you have a bucket list? Are all of your life goals wrapped up in it? Or do you have a fear of missing out, #FOMO for some? Most people have a sense of adventure, and everyone’s adventure drive including places and things to do will look different. Not everyone will want to jump off a cliff into the sea.

But there is a sense in us, a longing for something else…and it can be easily mistaken as a longing for adventure. Don’t get me wrong; adventure in of itself is not a bad thing. It’s when we place adventure, our bucket list, or FOMO above our longing for Christ—our true home—that we get into trouble. Not a slap on the wrist, but truly missing out in this short time we have here.

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Sam Allberry is a pastor, global speaker, and an editor for The Gospel Coalition. He has written an article titled “Why Christmas is the Antidote for FOMO” on TheGospelCoalition.org. He points out the popularity of shows and books like 50 Places to See Before You Die.  Allberry writes,

“That this has all been so successful reveals something very significant about ourselves. It flags what has become a great concern for many. We want to experience the best of what’s out there before it’s too late. It’s very much a first-world problem: for those of us who don’t worry about putting a roof over our heads or food on the table, our greatest fear seems to be getting to the end of life and feeling we’ve not gotten our money’s worth.”

Someone’s bucket list in a poverty-ridden third world country will look very different. There are people just trying to survive in this world; yet those of whom know Christ are happier than many “first-worlders.”  Why is this? Allberry comments on a New York Times article stating that much of this fear of missing out comes from social media envy…that gorgeous vacation picture on Instagram, a glamorous event photo on Facebook, a tweet about meeting a famous person, someone’s spectacular Pinterest board…and so on. Allberry captures it perfectly with this statement:

“We’re left with the impression that everyone else’s life is more glamorous and pleasurable than our own.”

And if there’s one thing humans are really good at it’s comparing their life to someone else’s. And culture does nothing to help it. The more you feel like you’re missing out or have less than someone else, the more you will buy into things or ideas.

But what if you don’t need to buy anything or go anywhere to transcend your fear of missing out? What if there is something greater than all the possible adventures on earth?

There was one man who had only one thing on his bucket list, and he did not have a fear of missing out because the Lord had revealed to him that he would not die before it came to pass and before he saw it with his own eyes. I’m talking about Simeon in Luke’s Christmas narrative. Not much is known about him historically except for what Scripture tells us in Luke 2:25-27:

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.” 

Allberry summarizes,

“There was one thing for Simeon to see before he died. Just one. Salvation.”

It was not a normal thing to bless babies as the savior of the world. Yet, Simeon held this baby in his arms and believed God—he believed this was the long awaited Messiah come at last to save His people. What joy he must have felt to be chosen, to be allowed to hold the Savior and speak words revealed to him by the Holy Spirit who was with him.

“And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’ And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’” –Luke 2:27-35

Allberry expresses,

“There’s huge sorrow ahead for Mary, the deepest sorrow for any mother: seeing her son die. The greatness that lies ahead for her child, the rescue God will accomplish through him—all of this will come about through his death.

This may not be the Christmas present we’d expect. But it’s the present we most need. And it all begins with the arrival of this baby.”