Confessions of an Addict

I have a (not-so) secret confession to make: I AM A FACEBOOK ADDICT. I love checking up on what’s happening with friends and family through the social networking site. I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about my next status update (trying to make it as interesting as possible) and spying on other people’s! I’ve almost forgotten what life was like before the book of faces!

Can you imagine that I was literally dragged onto facebook kicking and screaming by friends and now I’m chief advocate/recruitment agent/ defender of the website. Honestly, I think I should have shares in the company as I’m on it so much! Jokes aside it has enabled me to stay in touch with people that otherwise I would have lost contact with.

On reflection, the reason why I (and many others) am so hooked on sites such as facebook is because it satisfies my relational needs. Human beings inherently relational and this can take various forms and facebook fills that need/ requirement in modern living. Relationships are important to us and that is by design. God is relational, as is exemplified by the trinity and, as we are made in His image, so are we.

Relationships take on different shapes and forms, some easier to manage than others. Recently I have been evaluating the status of certain relationships, in particular my friendships. I am very blessed with the friends that I have and I can testify to the proverb that ‘there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother’ (Proverbs 18:24).

It used to sadden me when certain friendships came to an end, especially ones that were particularly close, but now I’m viewing friendships from a different perspective. God brings different people into our lives for different reasons and seasons. Some friends last a lifetime, whilst others are for a specific period. The key for me is recognising the different types of friendships I have and knowing that they are for different purposes. This is helping me to embrace all my friendships and value them for what they are- instead of fighting/ forcing to keep relationships that have run their natural course.
For me it’s so important to value friendships. They are sometimes challenging, often rewarding and help shape you. I would not be who I am today if I was not surrounded by genuine friends that love and encourage me. I have taken to telling those that are closest to me how much I appreciate them as I think that we can often take for granted the most important people in our lives.
So why not pick up the phone, text, or facebook someone close to you and let them know how you feel about them? With all the technology available at our fingertips we have a variety of ways of letting people know we care: they feel good, we feel good and it’s general smiles all round ?!

Dr Jemima Agyare

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