The Benefits of Less Media

It's now been about 3 weeks since I started my media fast. I feel I must confess upfront that I have not been steadfast. There have been days where I have fallen back into the depths of facebook/twitter/sportsblogs/etc. Old habits die hard.

But the general trend is upwards. And really, this isn't about a one-month fast. This is about weaning my dependance off easy, mindless uses of free time.

I feel compelled to tell you, friends, of the benefits of decreased media consumption. The biggest benefit is my slowed pace of thinking.

You see, the internet is geared around one thing- instant gratification. There is a storehouse of knowledge out there at our fingertips which we can access instantly without labor or difficulty. This is in fact quite a wonderful thing. It's a pool of collective knowledge--minds collaborating globally. Surely men throughout time have dreamt of such a thing.

But sin, seizing the opportunity, generates a mindset of "this is how things are". We get so adjusted to getting anything and everything with the press of a button. This is a dream come true for people like myself who LOVE to think fast......right? Right? I mean, finally, my mind can go where it likes without being hindered. It will race and race and before I know it, I've got the momentum of a train racing down a mountain. If the goal of life is to accumulate knowledge and accomplish as much as is humanly possible, then we are on the right track. But if life is about something else--something that necessitates slowing down and drinking from still waters, then we are in danger of becoming captives of our own runaway mind trains.

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul."

I have enjoyed so many more times like this since I began this media fast. There have been many other benefits like reading books and journaling--both slower paced and MUCH more enjoyable (if you can discipline yourself). You see, enjoyment is not as much about quantity as it is quality. This is one thing that seemingly most of the world understands except the US, which is why we're a nation of mass-produced misers. But I digress.

I will continue to keep a close eye on my media intake when this fast is over. In fact, I don't plan on recognizing the "end" of it. This is the beginning of a life-long change.