(Wally)Do you think that we have sort of an
identity crisis in our culture today?
Because we spend so much time listening to
what other people say about us, believing
the lies that other people have told us or
that we've ever told ourselves, ya know.
And not listening to who God says we are.
(Lauren)Totally, you know, I was talking to
someone about this the other day - about social
media and how much that has infiltrated our
psyche, how we think about ourselves, the
way we think about others, the way we perceive
culture.
It's kind of fascinating.
And you can look at, like, I saw this littler
girl post something the other day and she's
probably, like 9 or 10.
And she was posed as if she was a super model.
(Wally) Really?
(Joy) Oh...
(Lauren) Just so simple.
Just the way she like moved her hip and put
her hand on her hip and like angled her chin,
I was like, "That's not a natural 9-year-old
pose."
A natural nine year old pose is like... gawky
and awkward.
There's so much personality in that.
But there was like poise, like sensibility.
And same with these like... it's funny because
you also see adults falling into it as well.
It's not just the children.
(Wally) Right.
(Lauren) There's times where I see people's
Instagram and I'll see adults who are in their
40s posing like they're 22.Yeah... you know?
(Wally) Yeah, I can do duck lips.
(Lauren) Mmhmm!
Heyyyy! *laughter* (Wally) That was really
good!
(Lauren) Oh, I practiced, ya know!
(Wally) Someone's been on the gram!
That's Instagram that.
That was fantastic.
(Lauren) No, I'm kidding!
But it's just wild how much that social media
influences our mind and the way we think about
things.
(Wally) Well, you're looking at everybody's
highlight reel.
That's the problem with social media because
that pose that that girl did, it was probably
20 pictures deep in getting it just right
and we look at everything and we're like,
"Oh, their life is perfect."
But we buy into that everyday.
Like, I think your life is fantastic! *laughter*
Because I see you on the gram looking' all
cute and stuff and I'm like, "Why can't that
be me?
Why do I not have as many bracelets anymore?"
(Lauren) Oh, no, I can help you with that.
(Joy)I think that's the one to beat!
(Wally) I know, you definitely... my bracelet
game is down!
(Lauren) We'll buy him some funky things right
here.
Kay?
Everybody round up!
We're going to Mexico and going to grab these
bracelets! *laughter* (Wally) fantastical.
(Lauren) Yes!
Yeah, it is wild seeing how someone's life
looks like a highlight reel on Instagram.
And I think that is the thing to pay attention
to with the identity crisis your question
was about.
Do you think we're in an identity crisis?
I do, personally.
Because there's so much vying for our attention,
for our affection.
There's so much noise.
This is me personally and I'm so ok to be
honest with it.
Last night I went to church and half of my
interaction at church was me texting, "Ok,
did this get done?
I need to make sure I settle this here.
Ok, did I..."
And while I'm doing that the person who is
speaking says, "And there's so much running
after us nowadays that we can't spend a moment
without being distracted."
We have lost how to connect and stay integrated
in a moment.
(Joy) And be present!
(Lauren) And be present without like something
distracting us.
I've honestly - this is something I feel like
I need to work on - but I've actually made
distraction my normal.
Where things that are just coming in, coming
in, coming in.
If I don't have distractions, I feel frazzled.
Like, that's a head trip!
(Joy) So many different people are trying
to tell us who we are everyday and we're trying
to deal with that, then what are some of those
- like, the song is about "You Say" all these
different things - what's something you need
to go back to most?
What do you have to remind yourself of that's
true when so many different people are saying
different things?
(Lauren) Yeah.
This morning I sat still and I was like, "I'm
just gonna practice being still."
(Joy) That's hard!
(Lauren) I was just like meditating on the
Word and like, being present and like, I actually
left my phone inside and I sat outside on
my balcony and just sat there and journaled
a little bit and just kept things really simple.
And I think that's what this song for me was.
It's going back to the basics.
It's going back to remembering, "Ok, God,
what do you say about me?
Ok, you say this thing.
Ok, you say that thing.
You say this thing.
You say that thing."
When I'm dealing with the world of distraction
- my thought life, physical life around me,
emotionally - wherever those things are happening,
what are the basics that I can go back to
that are fundamental?(Joy) Lauren's song says,
"You say I am loved when I don't feel a thing."How
do we know that's really true?
It says in Romans 8:38 "... nothing can ever
separate us from God's love."
And the more you get to know God, the more
you get to see how inexhaustible his love
for you really is.
We're going to be using the Help Finder Bible
to answer some of these questions along our
journey to help you understand who God really
created you to be.
And I think you're gonna love it!
