Starry Night Thoughts

Ready, Set, Go, Pause, Contemplate, Retry

This is a different post for me. I don't usually do things like this, but I will on this chapter. Probably will on some more too.

During the weeks of mid-June thru mid-July 2017, I took a break from Wattpad. Why, do you ask? It's because it was literally starting to take over my life.

You read that right. An app was taking over my life. It took over what I thought about. It took over what I talked about. It took over what I did. I lost time with my family--time I could have used for talking or playing around I was using for staring down at my phone or computer worrying about the next thing I would write.

The worst thing of all, I realized I didn't just use Wattpad. I realized I was worshipping it.

Yes. Worshipping. It's a word not thrown around lightly.

Now, some of you may be saying I'm exaggerating. "Worship," I mean, that's only for church, right? Unless I'm praying to Wattpad, then how can I be "worshipping" this thing? I just must mean obsession, right?

Not really.

I looked up the two words in the dictionary. (Yes, the actual dictionary. No Google involved. Believe it or not, some people still know how to use the strange book with words).

"Worship" is defined as:

1-- the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration of a deity.

There's that word. Deity. It means a god or God.

2--the acts or rites that make up a formal expression of reverence for a deity; a religious ceremony or ceremonies.

You can guess on that one. Still though, all of these definitions so far are pertaining to the worship of a god. Does that mean as long as I don't see my phone/WP as a god, then I'm not worshipping it? Let's see.

3--adoration or devotion comparable to religious homage, shown toward a person or principle.

There you go. Adoration or devotion comparable to religious homage.

I still hear some of you in the background screaming "obsession! What about obsession?" Well, let's take a lookie.

Obsession is an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind.

If I were to continually think about my phone or WP all the time, then yes, it would be obsession. When the point comes that it's not thought of all the time, then it goes from obsession to worship.

How? Here's an example.

"Bob has recently bought a new video game. He absolutely loves it. Everyday, Bob sits down to play his game. It's all he can think about while eating, sleeping, bathing, or anything else.

"One day, Bob hears some bad news. Now, Bob has stopped thinking about his game all the time. It's just become a part of his routine. Each day he wakes up and plays the game. But, when Bob hears the bad news, what does he turn to? He turns to his game for comfort.

"Bob has gone past the point of constantly thinking about his game. Now, the game is a comfort to him. He uses it everyday. He turns to it when things go wrong."

Do you see what I mean? When something has become the thing you go to, it's no longer an obsession. It's an idol. If the thing is anything but God, then it's a false idol. Even if you aren't religious, then you are still, technically, worshipping something. You may not consider it your god, but think about how much time is spent with this thing. What do you see it as?