I QUIT FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM. I may return in 2024.

I will no longer have access to my accounts.

The reason I’m quitting is that it got the better of me.

Today’s verse from my daily reading said: Proverbs 8:12-13—“I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”

I posted things that lacked discretion.

It was all about me. Vain glory.

The verse God gave me in 2022 was this: “He must increase; I must decrease.” (John 3:30) A woman even made me a wristband to remind me.

My great hypocrisy was that I would always be looking throughout the day at how popular my posts would be. I wanted to increase getting my approval and warm fuzzies from “clever,” “witty,” and “thoughtfully written” posts.

But also through insensitive, stupid ones. Sometimes I would offend. As a pastor, this was inconsistent with Christ-like character.

Someone suggested I heed Jesus’ words: “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away…. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better….” (Matthew 18:8-9)

I fell prey to what the excellent Netflix documentary “The Social Dilemma,” warned about: “It examines how social media’s design nurtures addiction to maximize profit and its ability to manipulate people’s views, emotions and behavior….”

Yes, it happened to me.

I will miss my friends from across the country, but they can find me here.

Oh. By the way, I renewed my commitment to John 3:30 for 2023.