In January I experienced my first “fasting” event. Our church challenged us as congregants to participate in a 21 day fast. Our choice… food fast, Daniel fast, social media fast, TV fast, sugar fast… the list probably goes on. The point though was to deprive ourselves of something that would cause us to reflect and remember to worship God through prayer and thanksgiving.
So, as an over achiever I thought, “why just fast from one thing, I’ll do two”
This was my first time participating in an intentional spiritual fast, aside from "cutting weight" for powerlifting in high school, which I don't recall being particularly spiritual! After reading through the handout our church prepared, I decided to give it a genuine try.
I chose to completely fast from social media (Instagram and Facebook) and also observe a food fast every Thursday, consuming only black coffee and water. (I don't think Jesus would approve of fasting from coffee, and you'd likely be seeing my wife and I in marriage counseling if I attempted that, ha!)
When tempted to scroll through social media, I instead picked up a book or opened an e-book or one of my Bible/devotional apps, focusing on personal or spiritual growth. This actually helped me develop a nice habit of reading book summaries. On Thursdays, when hunger struck, I would spend time in prayer and, of course, drink more water. It has been a truly meaningful experience and believe it or not I didn’t die of starvation.
I've decided to continue avoiding social media, even deleting the apps on my phone as well as continued fasting on Thursdays. I've noticed positive effects in my life and witnessed how others have responded to my dedication. While I haven't deleted my accounts, I no longer feel drawn to them and don't have the urge to browse during downtime. Regarding the food fast, my kids have asked what I do when I'm hungry, and I explain that it reminds me to pray and thank God for what I have. My family has also noticed that I'm more engaged in conversations rather than mindlessly looking at my phone – though I'm not sure they've always appreciated the additional personal/professional growth advice I've been sharing from my reading! This actually led me most recently to silence almost all notifications on my phone so not to be constantly picking it up for that “dopamine hit.”
While I do recognize I have an addictive personality I never thought I was "that person" addicted to social media, but reflecting on these past few weeks, I realize I was avoiding the truth. Thursdays remain my fast and prayer day, and God has blessed this time. I rarely struggle with hunger pains now but remember to pray when mealtime arrives.
This has been a truly impactful experience. This is not at all to pat myself on the back or draw attention to myself. No, it’s more of a story that I can share with others reassuring them that, "If I can do it, you can too!" I'm not suggesting social media is inherently wrong, though it can be challenging to find the good content amid everything else. I enjoy seeing friends' photos and occasionally scrolling through funny reels, but I needed this break. If I can find meaningful, God-pleasing content elsewhere that promotes personal growth, that's where I want to invest my time. And fasting certainly isn't going to hurt me – my waist could benefit from skipping a meal each week!