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September 29

The Devil’s FOMO

Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.  ––Psalm 4:4-5

I first heard the phrase “FOMO” (fear of missing out) when my oldest daughter was in middle school. It’s that time in a pre-teen’s life when friends—and their acceptance—loom large. Birthday parties, swim parties, ice skating sessions. Who’s invited? Who’s not invited? Am I invited? And if I say “yes” to that event, will I miss out on a better invitation?

FOMO’s not just for socially sensitive teens, though. If we’re honest, we all struggle with it. It’s the proverbial “the grass is always greener” dilemma. “If I marry this person, how do I know I won’t be giving up my chance at someone (fill in the blank: smarter, richer, prettier)?” “Maybe I should quietly quit this job so I can jump ship to that other job,” or worse, “My wife doesn’t seem to love me anymore, so maybe I should have that affair.”

The devil’s good at setting us up for FOMO. Two of your peers at work are promoted but not you, or all your friends are invited to the lake to water ski—except you. And even as grown male adults, we often act like children, don’t we? (Well, I do.) We know in our head that there are more important things in life, yet it stings when we get left out or passed over.

That’s the battleground, brother. The devil knows that if he can get us to take that bait right away in any given FOMO situation, he can then sink that hook deeper. Ever notice that the deceiver typically tries to manipulate through strong emotional reaction—and usually it involves anger? Paul tells the Ephesian church, “’In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:26-27). That first part is from Psalm 4, as David understood the power of anger to pollute the mind and sour the spirit. He saw it in Saul, whose jealousy and anger made him try to kill David.

Being soberminded is not a side gig. For God’s man, there’s no room for part-time spiritual adulting. The great thing is that we have a Father who loves clarity, dispenses wisdom, and offers us a way of escape from every trap the enemy sets for us. In Him, there’s never any FOMO—we are always invited and always welcome before His throne.

Father, help me surrender those FOMO moments that seem to come out of nowhere, and exchange that instant negative reaction with Your peace that passes understanding.

______________________

1 Corinthians 10:13

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