Quitting Facebook

I really love Pinterest, and recently I found a humorous saying that said, "Quitting Facebook is the grown up version of running away from home.  We all threaten to do it, but we never really mean it."

Sometimes, I do wonder why I even am part of Facebook.  We all have the typical reason of, "Well, it's a good way to stay in touch with family and friends."  And you're right.  It is.  But, do we really use it only for that benefit?  I think not.

I know I use it sometimes just to be nosy.  It could be being friends with someone that I really have no desire to have anything to do with, and yet I  keep them on my friend list, just to "keep up with what's going on."  And sometimes that is not good. I use their bad situations, their bad language, their bad habits to make me feel better about myself.  I don't think that's a good thing for anyone to do.  And sometimes I read other people's status updates that tell all the wonderful things they are doing and who they are doing them with.  And then it brings out that old green eyed monster in me.  I know that is not good for anyone to do, either.

"Where are they getting the money to do that?"
"Why can't we do that?"
"Why did they ask that couple to go out instead of us?"
"I wish I had her shoes."
"Their house is so much nicer than ours."
"I wish I could travel like they do."

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

I also use it to promote my Mary Kay.  And so far, that's not working out so well.

When I look at all those things just listed, I can really start to wallow in my self pity.  I start to think about all the good things I do for other people and no one seems to notice it or do anything in return.  I start to think about all the sacrifices we make to stay out of debt.  And all of a sudden none of it seems fair.  Life become unfair.

So, where do I go from there?  Do I go ahead and delete my Facebook account and just get mad and throw a big tantrum because nothing is going the way I want it to go?  No.  That will do no good, because it's not getting to the root of the problem.  Even if I deleter Facebook, I'll still be upset.  What is the root of the problem?  I know one thing, for sure, if you spend so much time focusing on all the bad things in your life, you forget about all the good things.  Our flesh automatically wants to dwell on the bad.  We are not (at least I'm not) automatically positive people.  We have to work at it.  It's like the song says,

"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God has done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings see what God has done."

I have so many things to be thankful for and it does no good to compare myself or my family with any one else.  I need to focus on my life, my walk with God, my husband, my children and quit looking at everything else.  When I find my real joy in Christ, I won't need to worry about finding joy from the world and those around me.  And hopefully, in doing that, things will fall into place and the Lord will open the windows of heaven to pour out even more blessings on us.  How do I find joy?  By counting my blessings, the ones that I have right now.  By reading God's word, everyday.  By attending church faithfully, every service.  By working hard.  It's not easy.  I know that.  Right now, in fact, it seems to be really hard and I'm not liking it so much.  But, I have to keep plugging away.
There's a difference between happiness and joy.  I might not always be happy doing work and focusing so hard on this thing we call "life", but I have joy.  And that's even better.  Joy is knowing there's more to life than this temporary earth.  We have so much more to look forward to.
So will I quit Facebook?  Nah.  Not yet, anyway.  But I may delete some of you.  Hehe!