Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Keep this page open, and go to your favorite doom scrolling app (Don’t act like you don’t have one!). Count how many posts or games you can play or whatever before someone is telling you or showing you something you cannot live without that you likely never knew existed. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

If you didn’t get stuck scrolling mindlessly or if you did and it’s an hour later (or two days later) and you remembered this post, how long did it take before you saw an advertisement or a product review or a hack that involves you buying a new tool or someone’s miracle list of items that will make your life more organized, cheaper, or relaxing (also advertised as peace)? Or maybe Amazon is your favorite place to doom scroll so it is all coming for you.

Recently, I’ve given up on these false “needs” for our family because I needed to shift our budget due to medical expenses:

• Back to school clothes and new everything (we buy clothes when we need them, second hand as much as possible- quality way cheaper)
• Hacks that involve a new product
• Shopping apps on my phone (too easy to buy stuff without thought)
• Convenience foods all the time (grilled fajita meat, diced ham, Nutella, shredded cheese, etc)
• Outfit generators
• Anything that requires a subscription unless we use it daily and there is no free or cheap alternative.
• New outfits for every holiday (so hard to give up!)

I love Pinterest so sometimes I find myself getting trapped again, but I’m recognizing the algorithm coming for me more and more. Not only have “saving money” and “saving time” become idols, having 8 billion ideas available at the click of a button is trying to take over.

Anything that takes more mental space than God is an idol. What idols do you recognize in your life? What tricks draw you into “need” products you never knew existed?

I encourage you to join me in asking the Holy Spirit to help you lay them down, to fast from those things to make room for Him to work, and to enjoy the real freedom that comes from surrendering all of it to the only One who can truly satisfy.

“No other gods, only me.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭MSG‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/97/deu.5.7.MSG