Escapism is “the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy.” We all need a little escapism every now and then because, sometimes, reality is unpleasant. Escapism can be a form of rest from the day-to-day grind of life and we get the very idea of rest from God. Genesis 2:2: “On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.” But with social media and the world at our fingertips, sometimes escapism can become an idol.

An idol is anything that takes a place that God should hold. We can sometimes elevate our spouse to this position or we can push prayer and Bible study aside for entertainment; when we allow things to take a place that God should hold in our lives then we are making idols of those things. So if escapism is the only thing we cling to when life gets hard, then we are making it an idol.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

When life gets tough or unpleasant, social media is sometimes the default. Life can be whatever we make it on social media, and looking at other people’s mess gives us an escape from our own. But if we are only avoiding our problems, if we don’t give our worries and cares to God, instead obtaining comfort from a social media binge, then we are elevating social media to idol status and we are worshipping at its webpage.

We can do the same with entertainment. We have never been more saturated with entertainment than we are in this moment in history. We can stream anything, any time, anywhere, and this availability has changed the way we consume content—we don’t just watch one or two episodes: we binge. There’s nothing wrong with entertainment, specifically if it’s not blasphemous or leads you astray to sin, but if entertainment is taking a place God should hold, it has become an idol.

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

When life gets hard, instead of running away and seeking distraction, let us drop to our knees and take our worries and cares to the Lord. He cares about you and will give you comfort. And as Paul said, when we receive comfort from the Lord, it will equip us to give the same comfort to others. Don’t let a hobby, entertainment, social media, or ANYTHING take the place as Comforter in your life. Let God comfort you so you can comfort others. God cares more about us than anyone else ever will, so instead of escaping to something else, give your worries and cares to God. He cares for you and He will give you comfort.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

—Redeemed