Is FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) Rooted within the Fear of Death?

FOMO is the abbreviation for “fear of missing out,” and it describes an anxiety that we hold that we could also be missing out on an exciting event that others are a component of. FOMO is incessantly sparked by something we see on social media. After scrolling through our feed, we see friends gathering, vacationing, and succeeding in ways in which provoke a way of jealous unrest in us. We begin to covet a life that isn’t ours, and discontent breeds depression. 

At the guts of this very real phenomenon is a lack of expertise of what God designed this life to be for and the hope we now have to come back. In Christ, we now have a recent mission for living that goes beyond finding personal pleasures. 2 Corinthians 2:15 says, And he died for all, that those that live should now not live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” 

Simply put, once we join God’s family, we aren’t living for our own pleasure and survival; our mission and purpose are to glorify our Creator. But we forget this often and so quickly get sucked up into the various pleasures that the moment offers or deprives us of. When our focus is on self and never on our identity that’s bestowed upon us by Christ, discouragement can quickly overwhelm us. 

As believers, contentment and peace on this life is a recognition that there’s more to life than what this Earth offers. Our reality as believers is that the perfect is yet to come back. Yet, it’s hard to take this long view, and the temptation is to let comparison steal our joy. 

FOMO Stems from Our Fear of Death 

On a deeper level, our obsession with what we will experience on this life stems from our very raw and human fear of death. When we see this life as our singular probability to exist, the urgency of every moment may be overwhelming.

“Since the youngsters have flesh and blood, he too shared of their humanity in order that by his death he might break the ability of him who holds the ability of death—that’s, the devil— and free those that all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it isn’t angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason, he needed to be made like them, fully human in every way, so that he might change into a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he’s in a position to help those that are being tempted.” – Heb 2:14-18

The devil enslaves us with this relentless fear that death is where our stories end. The best trick our culture offers us is a welcome distraction from our mortality. Our culture serves us up an countless buffet of entertainment opportunities. 

Social Media diverts our attention from our God given purpose and design us by leading us to imagine that their life is the one which we’d like. Those events are those that can offer us the enjoyment we crave. Those friends are higher than those we’ve been given. There is an countless parade of lies that may devour us when our souls are nourished by fleeting joys quite than lasting truth. 

When we imagine our worth, our joy, our peace, and our future are wrapped up in what we will partake in here and now, it’s easy to change into terrified of missing out. God’s truth is a richer, more expansive, and way more hopeful one. It is the evil one which consumes us with anxiety. 

How the Cross Relieves Our Fear of Death

With God, our stories have space to evolve, and each a part of who we’re is redeemed through Christ’s shed blood. This life is merely the beginning of his work in us, as his children, we now have eternity to know Him and to make Him known. We have the countless days which can be yet to are available Heaven to unravel his mysteries and to exist in his perfect presence. As we let this gracious truth permeate our souls, we will let go of our fears. 

As a young Mom, the fear of death truly tormented my soul. Maybe you’ve been there? My FOMO was not about what I used to be missing on social media, nevertheless it was about what I would miss out on if death got here too soon for me or my family. God gave me this supersized love for my child that I didn’t know methods to trust him with since the truth of Heaven had not yet ruled my soul.

I questioned, wrestled, and struggled with God for a protracted season. Asking God, how can I live and love him when death is at all times lurking within the shadows? Death is a certainty, one I didn’t know methods to accept.  I’d lie my head down on my pillow only to quickly be consumed with panic because the enemy filled my mind with one thought: I’ll die, or my child could die. How could I trust God to take us after I can’t see for certain what life is past the grave? I never want to go away those I do know and love now. The considered certainly one of us being pulled away was unbearable. 

My fear of death, of missing out on more time with those I really like now, without full trust in God’s Word, is a completely rational one. I actually don’t know the way anyone who doesn’t know Jesus doesn’t spend every moment panicking and obsessing over death. The finality of leaving this body and entering the unknown is terrifying. 

God’s grace is sufficient to fulfill our needs and to reply our souls’ most difficult questions. At some point during my searching and suffering under this weighty fear, God whispered an ancient truth into my heart: I beat death after I gave my Son on the cross for you. 

I became a Christian at a young age, but I hadn’t needed this truth within the sort of way I needed it as a mother. Suddenly, the cross became all the pieces. Fundamental to my peace. It was the final word love act for God; he saw how unbearable death is for his children, so he turned this final ending right into a doorway for individuals who were daring enough to imagine. Now we will say things like Paul so radically declared, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Only through Jesus can we be so boldly hopeful in regards to the future! 

Now, when that familiar fear creeps in, after I get overwhelmed about taking advantage of every moment because there just isn’t enough time here, after I get overly concerned about being in the correct places with the correct people, I remember I even have the luxurious of taking the long view because I’m a toddler of God. I can rest within the story God is writing with my life now, knowing he’ll bring the great work he’s doing in me to completion (Philippians 1:6). When I’m tempted to check, I’m reminded that this life isn’t any longer for myself but for him who died and was raised again. 

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Marjan Grabowski

Amanda Idleman is a author whose passion is encouraging others to live joyfully. She writes devotions for Your Nightly Prayer, Crosswalk Couples Devotional, Your Daily Prayer, and more. She has work published with Her View from Home, on the MOPS Blog, and is an everyday contributor for Crosswalk.com, Biblestudytools.com, and Christianity.com. She has most recently published a devotional, Comfort: A 30 Day Devotional Exploring God’s Heart of Love for Mommas, alongside her husband’s companion devotional, Shepherd. You can discover more about Amanda on her Facebook Page or follow her on Instagram.