Let’s consider tracking how we spend our time in a typical 24-day period. Sleeping and working naturally take up most of it, followed by household tasks and hobbies and, finally, entertainment.
Recently, I heard someone point out a troubling contrast: For Christians, spending more time on television or social media than on Bible study, prayer or ministry seems out of balance. We often hear about the spiritual battle for our minds, but do our choices reflect the seriousness of this struggle? Though I’m involved with ministries and activities, I must ask myself whether I’m still allowing these daily distractions to consume too much of my focus.
Do I believe there is such a thing as having a balance with my busy schedule of helping others versus how much time I spend watching and being conformed to the world? The essential question is whether our attention is fully turned toward God, or if we are trying to justify and play both sides as we indulge in meaningless distractions. Can you sense Jesus prompting you to re-examine your priorities?
Our grandson is a normal first grader who loves to play with Legos and all things related to Mario and Sonic. But he also has a strong connection to Minecraft computer games. He spends a lot of time on his Nintendo Switch and becomes so deeply involved that it seems he loses contact with what’s going on around him. To even mention taking a break causes him to become upset. I was convicted about this the other day, and realized I would be the same way if someone took my television, computer and cell phone away.
Have we literally fallen in love with entertainment? Could this addiction be associated with a type of idol worship? The devices are not evil in themselves; they are just tools, but anything that captures our hearts receives our highest devotion. Romans 6:16 talks about the deception of slavery. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you become a slave to them, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”