Spiritual FOMO

     A typical Saturday evening typically ends up in 1 fate for me: balancing. I probably promised one person I'd study with them because "I'm really behind," another person we'd grab ice cream or coffee we'd catch up, and told two separate groups of people that I would meet them at different parties and such. Call it an inability to say no, but somehow I end with far too many plans for my time than are actually feasibly possible. After much careful thought, I've realized I have a terrible case of FOMO: Fear of Missing Out. Choosing one way to spend my time, even if it is more quality time, can feel so stifling to me. What is canceling a friend coffee date means my friend feeling like I ditched out on her/him? What if skipping out on studying means I won't learn the things I need to? What if something super exciting happens at that party?So often I am plagued by the question: What if I miss out? 

      As much as I've thought about social FOMO, I hadn't given much of a thought to what spiritual FOMO looks like until recently. I've been praying a lot about what serving the Lord will look like in my future career. In doing so I have realized that the idea of surrendering all the Lord gives me extreme spiritual FOMO. All sorts of thoughts rush through my head: What if the Lord calls me to a tremendously different life than all of my friends? What if the Lord calls me to serve Him in an area that is far away from my friends and family? What if the Lord calls me to a life of service that does not include marriage and a family? What if the Lord calls me to a life of service that includes more time with family but forces me to surrender my ambitions in my career? What if the Lord calls me to a specialty I'm not interested in? What if the Lord calls me to an area full of people that are really different from me? In other words, what if following the Lord means that I'll miss out on all of the other things people experience in life?

     While I laugh at my social FOMO, spiritual FOMO doesn't really strike me as something to laugh about. Instead of being funny, it reflects my deep felt insecurities about the Lord's power and control over my life. It also really reflects my central pursuit of being like others instead of the better pursuit of glorifying and imitating the Lord. Some pretty heavy hitting stuff.

 Luckily, the Bible has lots to say about this topic :)

     First off (and probably not the thing I wanted to hear), following the Lord means that we will "miss out." I put miss out in quotes because the Lord does call us to abstain from certain things, but this "missing out" is not a negative thing. By "missing out" on some of the worldly things that are not glorifying to the Lord, we become set apart and holy for his purposes. I'm not saying that this form of missing out is easy or pleasant - It is really hard to surrender things we deeply desire to the Lord. I am saying that it is good.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God." ~ Luke 9:23-27


We lose our lives and our own desires, but we gain the Lord - like I said, a good trade-off!


      And secondly (which has been hinted at), following the Lord means that we will not miss any good thing. 


Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! ~Matthew 7:9-11

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ~Romans 8:28

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 

~Psalm 34:8-10

I would say more, but the verses say it for themselves. 

So my question for you is this: Is there anything you need to miss out on so that you don't miss out? I want to clarify that I don't mean this in a legalistic way where you must follow all of the biblical rules to have a relationship with the Lord. But surrendering all to the Lord means that we will all have to give up something.  

So I ask again: What do you need to miss out on so that you don't miss out?