Janet writes, "Due to a complicated pregnancy, I had to be on bed rest, and I resorted to what I have done all my life when bored, angry, or unwell - look at the screen (tv, phone, computer). Through the two month pregnancy (I miscarried) and after, I was caught in a pattern of severe media usage and abuse.
I was so caught up in media consumption that I hardly ever read my Bible or prayed. I rarely took my toddler out to play. I got in the habit of sending him away to a friend's house so I could continue watching my shows and scrolling videos. I stopped responding to calls or texts from folks in the church, and I routinely skipped church meetings. I neglected chores at home, so my husband had to catch up on chores for me. I gained weight. I also became rude and snappish in my speech; I just wanted to be left to my thoughts about the stories I watched or read. Media continued to be my escape whenever I didn't like something in the real world. It got so bad I was isolating myself completely.
Eventually, my church family confronted me in love and out of concern for my heart and my family. I'm so glad they did. It woke me up so that I could see that I was caught in a sin trap.
I knew about Setting Captives Free because my husband had completed a course a few years ago so I looked the website up hoping they might have something for me. I'm so glad I started the Media Addiction course.
The course taught me how to focus on the gospel (the death and resurrection of Jesus) instead of on media. When we got to the lessons on how we are meant to be excited and fulfilled in Christ and the different ways in which we can do that, I took a break from the course so I could figure this out with God. In recent weeks, God has slowly worked this truth in my heart. Not just in media, but also in relationships and feelings that I used to run away from, the gospel has been reverberating. The gospel has healed me.
I am in a rhythm of seeking and seeing God and His work now. The fine-tuning is going to take more time as I'm expecting a child next month.
I still experience the temptation to run to media, and there are times I need to reevaluate whether I am using media the right way. But God always draws my thoughts back to Him.
We can never hear the gospel enough. It is through this good news about Jesus and what He has done for us that we live, thrive, rejoice, and find satisfaction for our hearts. Jesus is the only hope we have for lasting freedom. In Him, there are pleasures forevermore - not in life's situations, spouses, children, escapes, techniques, etc.
If you want freedom from any habitual sin struggle, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life."