Jesus & Lao Tzu Defeat The Monster FOMO

The monster FOMO daunts Westerners. Jesus and Lao Tzu defeat Fear of Missing Out by existing in the world, without being manipulated by it.

Great spiritual masters understand the difference between living in the world and rooting their lives in material things. Instead of allowing the world to demand their allegiance, they walk in the spirit. In this way, Fear of Missing Out has no place in their lives. Here’s what Lao Tzu has to say in the Tao Te Ching:

Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, Chapter 12

J.H. McDonald Translation

Five colors blind the eye.
Five notes deafen the ear.
Five flavors make the palate go stale.
Too much activity deranges the mind.
Too much wealth causes crime.

The Master acts on what she feels and not what she sees.
She shuns the latter and prefers to seek the former.

That Driven Family

We all know people who are driven by material things. Both partners work jobs that take them away from their family for long hours. They enjoy financial success, owning a beautiful home, a boat, and several nice vehicles. They boast stock portfolios and bank accounts that are more than healthy. Yet they are not happy.

Their children participate in all sorts of extracurricular activities. This means the time that parents spend with children gets taken up in shuttling them back and forth to practices and events. The family is a perfect example of people who do not take the time to “stop and smell the roses.”

FOMO

Knowing this family as well as you do, you’re aware of the true reason for their lifestyle. It’s the monster FOMO—their Fear of Missing Out on something that life has to offer. Yet, ironically, in all their running they miss out on Life. In their busyness they have no time for reflection. In truth, they like it that way because they would be afraid of who they might see if they were to gaze into their own hearts in introspection.

Vanity of Vanities…All Is Vanity!

The Teacher in the book of Ecclesiastes experienced a time like that, where he said yes to everything and denied himself nothing. Despite his extravagances, and perhaps because of them, he was unhappy. Even striving after wisdom can be weariness, replacing simple trust with too much knowledge. As a result of his striving, he ultimately felt the futility of life.

Eventually, through reflection, the Teacher realized that the key was in moderation, having some instead of all. This is why he wrote, “Vanity of vanities…all is vanity!” Perhaps we should add that while having all is vanity, having some is blessedness. We must learn to be in the world but not be obsessed by what it has to offer.

In the World, Not of the World

Jesus speaks of being in the world, but not of the world. What does this mean? Physically speaking, we are all both in the world and of it. We occupy physical space within a country, region, and locality. Certainly, we are in the world and cannot deny our connection to it.

We are also of the world. You exist because two people came together biologically to create a baby. Similarly, those two are products of their own parents, grandparents, and so on. You are of the world in the sense that you are a product of its creation. So, in this way, the biblical phrase is an enigma.

“The World”

When Christians use this term, they often do so in reference to sin. “The world” becomes a synonym for worldliness in its worst expression. Unfortunately, this creates an oppositional relationship with the creation around us. For some, our earthly home becomes a scary place, full of temptations.

For others, the world becomes our oyster, ready to be shucked. “Fill the earth and subdue it,” say some Christians, misunderstanding their own scriptures. (A better translation of Genesis 1:28 is “fill the earth and tend it.”) In subduing the earth, they neglect to take care of the planet. Followers of Christ must have a better relationship than this with the world. Instead of denying the flesh and fearing temptation, instead of taking the world by its horns and dominating it, there must be a better way.

A Better Way

Lao Tzu writes, “The master acts on what she feels, and not what she sees.” She is governed by deep spirituality and intuition, rather than allowing herself to be dazzled by the senses either in the positive or the negative. This is what it means to live by the spirit, and not gratify the flesh. Again, this is not to make an enemy of the flesh but to put it in its proper relationship with the spirit.

Permit Yourself the Five Colors

To be in the world but not of it means to permit yourself the five colors without blinding the eye. It means to enjoy music without becoming obsessed by it. To relish tasty food in moderation. It means to engage in all kinds of activity without becoming overwhelmed in the doing. To possess good things without becoming possessed by them, and without your possessions provoking others to envy.

Defeat FOMO By Faith, Not by Sight

You can’t help being in the world. Neither can you deny that you are a product of it. Yet, material existence is not the realm in which you live. Therefore, let the spirit guide you. This is what we mean when we say, “Walk by faith, and not by sight.”

Authentic living means recognizing your place in the world, without being dominated by its expectations. Walking with spiritual awareness, you can exist in this natural realm while maintaining a grasp on the eternal.

FOMO is a monster that destroys individuals and families. It demands obsessive loyalty, keeping us in chains and binding our lives. Jesus and Lao Tzu defeat this beast by showing you how to walk by faith, and not by sight.

Something to Ponder

Consider how FOMO has become a monster in your own life. How has the Fear of Missing Out driven you to admire, aspire, or acquire more than you really need? How has this beast created dissatisfaction in your life, to the degree that you feel incomplete without all the world tells you that you need to have?

In what areas of your life do you have too much color? Too many notes? Too much flavor? How have you allowed yourself to become deranged by accomplishing or collecting too much? What would it look like for you to walk by faith, and not by sight? How can you put this into practice today?