Message summary: Living with a "TITDTLHM" outlook is a powerful antidote to FOMO and ROMO!

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"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

Our vocabulary is filled with acronyms. We use them all the time and in some cases we've heard the acronym all our lives, like FBI. We may know what the acronym means but not what it stands for. Many use the acronym "TGIF" (you'll be sick of acronyms by the end of this message!) as they look forward to the weekend. That means "Thank God It's Friday" or "Thank Goodness It's Friday" if you are bit more sanctified.

But how many of you have heard of the acronym FOMO?

FOMO stands for Fear Of Missing Out. It is the feeling of apprehension that one is either not in the know about or missing out on information, events, experiences, or life decisions that could make one's life better. According to experts, whoever they are, this in part accounts for why so many are constantly attached to their electronic communication devices.

Not unusual these days but it especially struck me how many people you observe walking along with their heads down, oblivious to all that surrounds them, simply focused on their device. Admittedly, we both carry smart phones and they are pretty handy but especially when we are out in God's creation they are tucked away except for trying to capture the outdoor setting on the camera.

Although this continues to increase it occurs to me that "FOMO" is not merely technologically related. Many are afraid of "missing out" if they don't have certain items such as a new home, the latest fashion, modern vehicle or tech device, if they aren't able to go to certain places on their "bucket list".

There's a form of FOMO that we can share from experience when we get to that point in life where we have more miles behind us than what lies ahead. Certainly, Brooksyne and I have crossed that line. You realize there's a lot you are not going to get done in life and you have missed out on. This can lead to ROMO, an acronym I made up meaning, "Regrets On Missing Out". You look back and see all you didn't see or don't have or won't do.

But there is a Scriptural principle that deals with both FOMO and ROMO.

Well we believe our acronym (if we must have one) should be: "TITDTLHM". Actually it would probably be a lot easier just to memorize the phrase which a good number of you have already done so, "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it".

Many of you have surely heard the verse put to music in a simple chorus and if you're like us you've sung it hundreds of times. We sang it in our earliest years in Christ and now there is a newer Cody Carnes version as well that we sing in our church.

Living with a "TITDTLHM" outlook is a powerful antidote to FOMO and ROMO!

"This is the day the LORD has made." It's a simple proclamation of truth that we can declare every single day. It's always true; God displays the "burning sun" in the morning and the "rising moon" in the night. Every day is an act of His faithful creation. What blessedness results and faith arises as we recognize this marvelous act, acknowledge His daily loving kindness and joyfully declare that TITDTLHM.

"Let us rejoice and be glad in it."  That’s a vital decision we make regardless of life's circumstances. No doubt some readers have great burdens today and challenges that could potentially overwhelm them. If this is our sole focus we will find our spirit downcast and discouraged.

Or we can instead make a volitional choice that today we will rejoice and be glad. The apostle Paul declared in his letter to the Philippians, "I rejoice greatly in the Lord" even though he was imprisoned and surely had distressing circumstances.  The real key is to focus on Jesus as we live our daily lives with an eternal perspective. This day let us seek to keep this focus, living with a "TITDTLHM" outlook!

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13.

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber