FOMO is over

 

FOMO is over

During the lockdown, for many people, life was a lot quieter and less busy. One of the upsides of this was that the Fear Of Missing Out was suddenly over!   There was nothing happening to miss out on!   FOMO had become quite a thing, particularly among younger people, and at times turned into a genuine fear that missing out on something would be just the worst possible thing.   It’s easy to laugh at it now and wonder what all the fuss was about but many teenagers and young adults especially were glued to their phones just in case they missed something that might leave them feeling left out.

As life returns to some sort of a new normal it would seem that FOMO does not quite have the same power it used to as there is so much still not happening. Probably in the small dramas of high school life there is plenty however.   I remember one of my daughters reflecting back on high school saying…’Dad, I’m so done with all the drama!’  However, whether it is different areas of the country having different rules, different churches opening up again or not, sports and hobbies opening up in varied ways, it is possible for us to feel as we move at different speeds coming out of lockdown that we may be Missing Out.  

Ina’s elderly aunt in German said to her recently that she doesn’t want to miss out on things when she has a relatively short time to live anyway…she wants to make the most of her life while she can.   I’d never thought of that before as being an issue for very elderly people, but it makes perfect sense.   What then might the bible means when it says ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain’ and later ‘I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances’.  Contentment may not be one of the more ‘rock star’ virtues such as faith hope and love but I wonder whether for our time it is the most relevant.  

With the return of localised restrictions such as in the Glasgow area and people’s circumstances varying it can be easy to be frustrated or even envious of others who seem to have greater freedom or opportunity… FOMO may make a comeback if we are not careful.   Contentment however is the great antidote to FOMO.  It serves to stabilise  and help us value what we do have, to keep our eye on the eternal promises of God which never change, on the deep rhythms of life and the small courtesies which help us live life well whatever our circumstances.

Most importantly contentment acknowledges that everyone is different, that comparing ourselves to others or harking after the greener grass on the other side, or even just wanting Covid to be over and to find ourselves in summer 2021 will only be a recipe for discontent.   Whether you compare yourself to another person, another church, another part of the country or to a future point of being free of Covid, it takes you away from being fully present and valuing the here and now.  The here and now is the only place where you can meet with God as it is the only place where you actually are!

Don’t succumb to FOMO, by worrying about what you may be missing out you miss what you actually have.