Escaping Escapism

The Dangers of Escapism
1. Escapism destroys relationships
Escapism robs you of quality time and communication with others

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

"Now we are learning the more time you spend on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, the more likely you are to feel depressed.” Dr. Christine McGrath, psychologist

“Having more internet relationships is associated with higher levels of emotional loneliness than having face-to-face relationships.” http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/109493101300210303

2. Escapism destroys the power of connected, vigorous thinking
“Even fiction which contains no suggestion of impurity, and which may be intended to teach excellent principles, is harmful. It encourages the habit of hasty and superficial reading, merely for the story. Thus it tends to destroy the power of connected and vigorous thought; it unfits the soul to contemplate the great problems of duty and destiny. Counsels to Parents, Teachers and Students, p. 383

3. Escapism draws you away from spiritual things
“You are indulging an evil which threatens to destroy your spirituality. It will eclipse all the beauty and interest of the sacred pages. It is love for storybooks, tales, and other reading which does not have an influence for good upon the mind that is in any way dedicated to the service of God. It produces a false, unhealthy excitement, fevers the imagination, unfits the mind for usefulness, and disqualifies it for any spiritual exercise. It weans the soul from prayer and love of spiritual things.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, pp. 241, 242

Depression and Anxiety: “Escapism allows us to numb ourselves to a reality that we do not want to accept….It allows us to avoid feelings of shame or emotional pain. By imagining ourselves as someone who doesn’t have the constraints that we do, or who possesses something that we lack, we can ‘experience’ that life without having to do the work (and have the luck) necessary to achieve it.” http://feelhappiness.com/escapism-leave-fantasy-world-live-reality/

4. Escapism corrupts and destroys the soul
“A large share of the periodicals and books that, like the frogs of Egypt, are overspreading the land are not merely commonplace, idle, and enervating, but unclean and degrading. Their effect is not merely to intoxicate and ruin the mind, but to corrupt and destroy the soul.” The Adventist Home, p. 415

The more you escape, the more you paralyze your motivation to stop escaping. But in order to escape escapism, YOU MUST TAKE ACTION.

Keys to Escaping Escapism
1. Temperance
• Go to sleep early.
• Exercise.
• Avoid unhealthy food, drink, etc.
• Take time for recreation.
• Invest in quality relationships.

2. Reflection
Ask yourself questions like these.
• What am I fleeing from?
• In what situations do I typically engage in escapist behavior?
• Is there a specific feeling or mood that triggers the urge to escape?
• What is it that I enjoy about my fantasy?
• What do I feel as I “come down” after a fix?

3. Discipline
• Set a timer.
• Keep phone, computer, etc. away from bed.
• Set up accountability system.
• Set goals.
• Have devotions.

4. Prayer and communion with God
All of the previous ingredients are powerless without this one.

“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matt. 26:41

“God has given us the power of choice; it is ours to exercise. We cannot change our hearts, we cannot control our thoughts, our impulses, our affections. We cannot make ourselves pure, fit for God’s service. But we can choose to serve God, we can give Him our will; then He will work in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus our whole nature will be brought under the control of Christ.” The Ministry of Healing, p.176

“Through the right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made in the life. By yielding up the will to Christ, we ally ourselves with divine power. We receive strength from above to hold us steadfast. A pure and noble life, a life of victory over appetite and lust, is possible to everyone who will unite his weak, wavering human will to the omnipotent, unwavering will of God.” The Ministry of Healing, p. 176

5. Sharpen your Sword of the Spirit!
“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” I Cor. 10:13, 14

“What we do not overcome, will overcome us and work out our destruction.” Steps to Christ, p. 32

The root cause of bad habits: Who Rules The Heart?
“The deepest issues of the human struggle are not issues of pain and suffering, but the issue of worship, because what rules our hearts will control the way we respond to both suffering and blessing.” Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, p. 71

“Whatever rules the heart will exercise inescapable influence over the person’s life and behavior.” Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, p. 68

“Sin is much more than doing the wrong thing. It begins with loving, worshiping, and serving the wrong thing.” Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, p. 67

Sin causes us to steal the story and rewrite it with ourselves as the lead, and with our lives at center stage.” Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, p. 35

“Sin is the ultimate disease, the grand psychosis…Rebellion is the inborn tendency to give in to the lies of autonomy, self-sufficiency, and self-focus.” Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, p. 14

Also see Humanetech