If I’m Going To Post It, I Better Be Practicing It

Originally posted to social media March 15, 2021

…or at least, I better be trying to.

I’ve been kinda quiet on social media recently. But honestly, I haven’t had much to say. I’m working on a few things for the future, but as of right now I’m focusing more on the practicing than posting.

It’s easy to get caught up in the opposite—posting over practicing. To be real though, posting is easy. How easy would it be for me to make a new social media account, where no one knows I use a wheelchair, and post all day about the 5 miles I just ran? But me actually practicing that is a much different story. I can’t even walk 5 cm much less run 5 miles… and I’m totally cool with that! You freaks running 5 miles everyday are, well, really in shape freaks!

That’s a pretty crazy example, I know, but the principal remains the same.

It’s kinda like politicians telling us not to go to restaurants during the pandemic yet they get caught eating out. Or someone who criticize other politicians for neglecting their constituents, but as soon as it gets a little cold they’re off to a resort in Mexico. The reason we get so peeved isn’t because they’re eating out or hitting up the beach, it’s because their words don’t match their walk (or roll). My point is this:

It means I understand there are truths about myself and the world I can’t change. But it also means that if I’m going to profess those truths, I better have taken the time to look inward first and make sure I’m on the journey of working them out in my own life. It doesn’t mean I’ll be perfect, but I’m at least on the road.

Recently, I’ve been taking more time to make sure I’m doing that. Reading, writing just to write, listening to podcasts & music, praying & listening to where God is leading me. These are some of the practices I try to do daily to help keep me an Authentic and integrated person. As I do, truths that I may have already known transform from knowledge to wisdom, and I can hopefully better help you experience the same.

Take some time this week to try focusing more on the practicing and less on the posting. You might find the person who really needed to be reading your posts was the one typing them all along.

Current Comments (March 4, 2022)

As we entered the season of Lent last Wednesday, it seems appropriate this should be the first of my social media posts from last year I add here to the website.

Most people associate Lent with giving up chocolate or alcohol or social media for the 40 days before Easter. It maybe comes with the added benefit of losing some weight or having some extra free time, but beyond that most don’t give it a second thought. In reality, though, it’s much more profound.

For followers of Jesus, the Lent season is a time to slow down, clear out the clutter, acknowledge our own inabilities and mortality, and look toward the Cross of Christ and Easter Sunday. We intentionally fast or remove things from our lives for a season so we see more clearly the things of God. It also usually includes adding some form of spiritual practices in place of whatever we’ve removed—a time of prayer or reading the Bible when you’d be eating, or spending some time in silent rest when you’d be scrolling.

Since I wrote the above post last year I’ve become increasingly aware of how important prioritizing your practices are, not just in the season of Lent, but in every season.

Regular days off of social media, spending time in Scripture and prayer every day, keeping a journal, sitting in silence for a few moments each day. These practices carried me through the last year. They became the moments I craved most when the realities of life were crashing in around me and they were the places I found clarity when everything else was foggy.

Whether you’re a follower of Jesus or not and whether you typically practice Lent or not, maybe now is a time to consider cleaning out some of the clutter which accumulates in all our lives? Consider it a spring cleaning. If you’re not sure where start, a full 24 hours off of social media every week was an amazing one for me. Or maybe 5 minutes in silence every day?

Whatever you decide, don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t stick right away. They’re called practices for a reason. They usually take some practicing before you see the profits. If you miss a day or don’t get through a full 5 minutes of silence, give yourself some grace and try again tomorrow.

I’d love to hear from you!

What practices do you do regularly that provide a rhythm to your life?

What practices would you like to try incorporating into your life rhythm?

Are there any places where your posting (whether on social media or with your words and actions) and your practices don’t line up? How could you work to realign them?

Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time, live remARCably,