“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” — Ephesians 5:15-16
I watched a near-death story on YouTube.
A 14-year-old girl was clinically dead for 12 minutes after a car accident. During that time, she met Jesus. And what He showed her wasn’t just heaven. It was Earth—ours. The real world. This world.
Jesus showed her the truth:
Crowds of kids, heads bowed, eyes glazed, swiping endlessly on screens.
Moments slipping through their fingers. Days wasted. Connection promised. Disconnection delivered. And when I heard her say it, something in me stopped.
The Doom-Scroll Spiral
I’ve seen it around me—at coffee shops, at dinner tables, in church. Sometimes… I catch myself doing it too. Doom-scrolling. Clicking video after video until I forget what I was even looking for in the first place. I’ll tell myself it’s for research—because sometimes it is. But often, I’m just there.
Present in body. Absent in soul.
And when I finally look up, I realize… I missed something.
A moment.
A thought.
An idea God might’ve whispered if I had been still enough to hear.
A Night’s Wake-Up
A friend texted me, clearly upset. Something she saw online triggered her. A vacation photo, a life she wanted, something she didn’t have. I could feel her trying to pick a fight, and for a moment, I almost responded.
But I didn’t. I turned off my phone instead. Because I knew where that rabbit hole led—and I didn’t want to go there. The scrolling didn’t teach her anything. It just made her feel worse. It poked at her insecurities and left her empty, agitated, disconnected.
And honestly, I’ve been there too.
What Social Media Promises vs. What It Steals
It promises:
🔹 Community
🔹 Inspiration
🔹 Connection
🔹 Discovery
But it often delivers:
🔹 Envy
🔹 Comparison
🔹 Distraction
🔹 Division
It feeds on our need to be seen—then leaves us lonelier than before. It promises belonging—but rarely invites us into real presence.
That 14-year-old girl said something that hit me hard:
“Jesus showed me people wasting their lives scrolling. I could see it. So much time lost. So many moments missed.” — Madison Brooks
But There’s Still Time to Look Up
That stuck with me. Because I don’t want to be a passive bystander to my own life. I don’t want my most treasured memories to be secondhand—filtered through someone else’s reel.
If I’m online, I want it to be intentional:
To learn.
To plan.
To be inspired to do, not just see.
That’s why I keep a running list of restaurants I want to visit. Places I want to experience for myself. Moments I want to create—not consume.
Because scrolling doesn’t create memories. Living does.
Soul Insights
1. Screens steal what silence could heal.
We turn to our phones when we feel lonely, anxious, or numb—but they rarely offer lasting comfort. God often speaks in the in-between moments, not the endless scroll.
2. Just because something grabs your attention doesn’t mean it deserves your soul.
Not everything “interesting” is meaningful. Curiosity without discernment becomes a trap.
3. The enemy doesn’t need to destroy you. He just needs to distract you.
And scrolling is the perfect weapon—because it feels harmless while slowly pulling you away from your purpose.
4. Connection that costs your peace isn’t real connection.
That friend’s reaction wasn’t really about me. It was about what social media stirred up in her. It exposed something unhealed. And that’s what these platforms are designed to do—poke at our lack and leave us aching.
5. Jesus is still calling people to look up.
Through near-death stories, through conviction, through holy interruption. The question is—will we listen?
Final Thoughts
I’m not here to demonize phones or shame anyone for watching videos. There’s beauty online. Information. Inspiration. Even truth. But let’s not lie to ourselves: most of it is noise.
That girl’s experience reminded me that eternity sees everything. The seconds we waste. The hours we bury. The regrets we carry.
And Jesus—He sees it, too. Not to condemn us, but to wake us up. So today, maybe just… look up. Notice the moment. Don’t scroll past the life God is trying to give you.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” — Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Your Turn
If this stirred something in you, maybe it’s time to take inventory:
Where are you spending your soul? What kind of connection are you really craving? And what would happen if, just for a week, you used your screen only for learning, creating, or blessing someone else?
Try it. Let real life interrupt you again.
You were never meant to spend your life watching someone else’s. Spend time with people. Live your own moments. Before they pass you by.
— Amelie Chambord
© 2025 Amelie Chambord
Soul Path Insights 
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