Have you ever found yourself organizing your Pinterest boards to a T? Started to change your own homes in ways to make them appear just like the ones you see in pins? Obsessing over making every little part of your home (or life) as perfect as what you find on your boards? Do you know what I am talking about? No need to point fingers or call for a show of hands here. You know who you are.

I am talking about The Pining Pinterest Pinner. The one who pines for what she pins, who longs for what she sees. The one who becomes all consumed with pins, and boards, and projects, and ideas, and wonderfully decorated spaces, and creative creations… I myself have been one of these from time to time.

According to Wikipedia In January 2012, comScore reported (Pinterest) had 11.7 million unique users, making it the fastest site in history to break through the 10 million unique visitor mark. Pinterest’s wide reach helped it achieve an average of 11 million visits each week in December 2011. Most of the site’s users are female.

This is an incredible feat. 11 MILLION visits each week. Wow. Pinterest has officially revolutionized the old magazine “clip and save” way of yesteryear, and in a big way. I bet almost every woman you know has either heard of Pinterest or has their own account.

Just a few years ago it was common to have a subscription to a magazine or two. They usually came in once a month and camped out on the living room table. They were flipped through here and there and if particularly interesting maybe even read from cover to cover (which took all of an hour at most). A clipping or two of a recipe or a well designed room might have been saved for future inspiration and you went on with your day.

…And then Pinterest was born. It is like a magazine on steroids. The vast amount of recipes, crafting projects, how-to, beauty tips,and  fashion ideas is overwhelming to say the least (and the list goes on and on). Simply put: if it exists, you can find it on Pinterest. This is dangerous. There is no end and no beginning.
The time involved is a big difference between a magazine and Pinterest. A magazine can only be read for so long, but Pinterest can become all consuming. Have you ever sat down to check out one thing and suddenly an hour has passed by? We have all done it, it’s so easy with the way technology is today. Time literally flies.
There is also one other major difference: perception. When a magazine showcased a beautifully decorated cake on the cover and exclaimed “you can bake this too, just follow the recipe on page 57!” We all knew the cake would probably not come out the same. Obviously there was a professional baker who put the thing together in a commercial kitchen with a photography crew capturing it with a professional photo shoot. It was by professionals and the expectation was different. It is not quite the same with Pinterest, somehow everything seems to be so much more attainable.
Let me make this clear: Pinterest is not a bad thing. Pinning things is not a bad thing. But Pining for things is a bad thing. Letting it consume you is a bad thing. Coveting what another has is a bad thing.

pin·ing
to yearn intensely and persistently especially for something unattainable
Synonyms
ache – crave – hanker – yearn – covet

The Bible warns us of this over and over again:

Colossians 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

1 Corinthians 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

Jonah 2:8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.

I don’t know about you, but I certainly felt my little ears perk up when I heard that last part. “forsake their hope of steadfast love.” Forsake it.

for·sake

Synonyms: abandon – leave – desert – quit – relinquish – throw over

By paying regard to vain idols we are forsaking our hope of steadfast love. We are abandoning our hope, leaving it, deserting it, quitting it… we are relinquishing our hope of steadfast love with the one who loved us most. Christ himself. By pining for the things of this world we are saying “Lord, I value these things and they are more important to me than you are.”

The good news is this can be changed! You are not doomed forever if you are a pining Pinterest pinner. You can make the choice to put away idol worship and instead turn your eyes to The Lord. Reevaluate the things that are in your life and check them against this simple principle: does this glorify God? If it does, keep it, if it doesn’t then find out how it can.

I’m not saying delete Pinterest entirely and stay far away from the thing, no. Again, Pinterest is not the problem. It can be used for good and can really be a way to spark creativity. I’m saying don’t let yourself become all consumed with it. This goes for all aspects of our lives. You can plug any activity into “Pinterest” and come up with the same results. The bottom line is this: if it is not bringing glory to God then it needs to change.

Psalm 115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

**Post from August 7, 2013 from AVeryAireyLife