Seek Or Scroll? The God Of The Soundbite

I wonder what my friends are up to. What are they doing? Thinking? Saying?

So I Scroll.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. Take your pick. My thumb flutters. Faces, stories, thoughts, ideas, dreams, aspirations, hurts, pains. They all fly by at warp speed. Just a glimpse is all I need.

I wonder what the world is up to. What nations are colliding? What industries are collapsing? What events are unfolding? What teams are winning?

So I Scroll.

Catching headlines. Perusing paragraphs. Scanning the main points. A 30-second video. A hot take. A Tweet. Switching from story to story as they're flung at me like cards from a Vegas dealer.

I wonder what the influencers are up to. What can I learn? How can I grow? Where do I need to improve?

So I Scroll

Whirling through podcasts at double speed. More articles. More tweets. More headlines. Advice on business in bite sizes. Advice on productivity so I have time to read more articles and listen to more podcasts and cram more books.

I wonder what God is up to. How is He working? What is He saying? What is He like? What divine revelations has He placed in His word? What Holy ambitions is He stirring in my heart?

So I Scroll.

Reading a few chapters. Taking a few notes. Praying a few sentences. I browse another article to hear what God said to someone else. I listen to a sermon on double speed while I fight traffic.

Is our God the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob or the God of the soundbite?

Is our God seated above the heavens or contained in 280 characters?

Does God speak and stars are born, mountains rise, and nations fall? Or does God speak and cute quotes are pinned?

The scroll syndrome is all consuming. It seeps into every corner of our lives. Like slow, determined tar it overtakes and holds us captive in its sticky clutches. It takes boldness, diligence, discipline, and counter-cultural bravery to fight back against the scroll.

Will you join me? I want to slow down. I want to linger long in His Presence. I want to be found listening when He chooses to speak.

I want to be overwhelmed with awe when I see His power. I want to be overcome with wonder when I experience His Mercy. I want to be filled with zealous obedience when He calls me.

Will you join me? Will you stop scrolling and start seeking?