The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

Pastor Jeff Manion once admitted that even people in

ministry aren't immune to the quiet pressure of comparison.

Like many of us, he and his wife would sometimes look around and

see friends moving to bigger cities, taking new opportunities,

or stepping into roles that seemed more exciting. And if

they were honest, a question would occasionally creep into

their Are we missing out? After all, they had spent years

serving the same church and living in the same community,

while others seemed to be climbing new ladders and chasing

bigger platforms, their life looked stuck, ordinary, and even

small by But over time, Jeff and his wife made a decision that

ran completely against the cultural pressure to keep

chasing the next opportunity.

Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger, and

today we're talking about the fear of missing out. It's

something that quietly steals our contentment more than

probably anything else. We scroll past photos of people

traveling or having beautiful destination weddings. Maybe our

neighbor just landed a dream job or got a brand new car. And the

feeling sets in that life is passing us by. The fear of

missing out, or FOMO as it's often referred to, implies that

God is withholding the good stuff from us. But things don't

work that way in God's economy. God places us exactly where He

wants us and blesses us as He sees fit. I have found that true

joy is blooming exactly where He's planted me today. Listen to

what King David writes in Psalm 16, verses 5 and 6. Lord, You

alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that

is mine. The land You have given me is a pleasant land. What a

wonderful inheritance! David looked at his life and said, The

land You have given me is a pleasant land. If David had

succumbed to FOMO, he might have said, The land You gave someone

else looks so much better. Or, I wish I had a different

inheritance. He looked at what God had placed in front of him,

and he called it wonderful. That's really hard to do

sometimes, especially in our comparison-saturated culture.

Every time you open your phone, you're confronted with a

carefully curated highlight reel of someone else's life. Their

vacations and promotions. Their engagements. Their milestones.

And something inside you whispers, They're living large.

And you're just existing. FOMO is more than a trendy acronym.

It's a spiritual issue, I believe. Because, at its root,

the fear of missing out is a quiet accusation against God.

What it does is, it says, God, You're not giving me enough.

You're holding back. The life You've given me isn't as good as

the life You've given them. But I want you to know that is a lie.

And it's as old as the Garden of Eden. The serpent's first

strategy was to convince Eve that God was withholding

something good from her. Did God really say you can't eat from

any tree? He asked. What he was doing was twisting the truth

just enough to plant doubt about God's generosity into Eve's mind.

FOMO is the same whisper in modern packaging. The truth is,

God has not forgotten you. And He hasn't overlooked you. He has

not accidentally placed you in the wrong city, or the wrong

church, the wrong season, or the wrong story. The boundaries

around your life, even the ones that feel limiting, are drawn by

a loving Father who knows exactly what you need and when

you need it. That doesn't mean you'll never have new

opportunities. And it doesn't mean you stop dreaming or

growing. But what I believe it means is you stop living in a

constant state of panic that life is happening somewhere else

while you're stuck here. Because here is where God planted you.

And if He planted you here, there's fruit to bear here.

That's what Jeff Manion learned. Instead of constantly searching

for something bigger, Jeff and his wife chose to stay planted

exactly where they were. deeply in the people and community God

had placed around him. become something deeply meaningful.

They realized they had deep relationships that lasted for

years. Lives had been shaped through consistent ministry. And

they had a sense of peace that came from knowing they were

exactly where God had called them to be. Looking back, Manion

has said that comparison often tricks us into believing the

good life is happening somewhere else. But when we trust God's

placement for our lives, things like our calling, our community,

and even our limitations, we often discover something

surprising. The place we thought we might outgrow becomes the

very place where joy and purpose take root. Maybe you needed to

hear that today. Maybe you've been scrolling and spiraling,

convinced that everyone else is living the life you've missed

out on. Or looking at what the neighbors have and secretly

wishing you had it too. Maybe you have been quietly resenting

the season God has you in because it doesn't look as

exciting as someone else's. Here's today's challenge. while

scrolling, at a gathering, or just in a moment of comparison,

stop and pray Psalm 16, 5, and 6 over your own life. Lord, you

alone are my inheritance. The land you have given me is a

pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance. Then, what I want

you to do is name three specific things about your current season

that you're grateful for. Then, let gratitude replace envy and

trust that God has you exactly where He wants you. Lord,

forgive us for the times we believe the lie that you're

withholding good things from us. Forgive us for looking at other

people's lives and feeling cheated by our own. Help us to

trust your boundaries and timing and your placement for our lives.

Open our eyes to see that the land you've given us is a

pleasant land. Teach us to bloom where you've planted us and find

deep joy right here and right now. In Jesus' name, amen. If

this podcast has been an encouragement to you, would you

consider supporting it? Your generosity helps keep these

daily devotions coming. You can give at

dailydevotionsforbusylives.com slash support. Thank you for

partnering with me in this ministry. Thanks for joining me

on Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. Remember, the good life

isn't always happening somewhere else. God's planted you right

where you are for a reason. Come back next time for more

encouragement to help you live grounded in God's truth. Until

then, God bless and have a great day.