Video Game Addiction...
Q: I'm a video game and TV addict. How do I stop?
A: There are usually two different issues in a person's life that leads to various media addictions. The first has to do with the heart. If your life has not found its satisfaction in Christ you will try to fill the spiritual void with other things and entertainment becomes a convenient electronic escape. If you have a relationship with Jesus then the issue can also come from a lack of discipleship (discipline) in your life. A growing disciple of Jesus is constantly challenged to have an eternal perspective instead of a mere worldly perspective. That takes training and much of Jesus' ministry to His disciples was teaching them about the Kingdom of God and how they need to seek first the Kingdom. If we truly have a sense that our lives belong to God and that we will give an account of our lives before Christ one day then we will start to take seriously the eternal things and stop wasting our time with the things of the world. Not all entertainment is bad but much of it (if not most of it) fuels the flesh instead of the Spirit.
The Bible says in Galatians 6:7-8 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."
I would encourage you to kick start some new convictions in your life by going on a video game and TV fast for 40 days. Jesus fasted from food for 40 days before beginning His ministry and 40 days throughout the Bible is a significant number. You may think, "there's no way I can go 40 days without TV or video games" but that is simply a deception that you've bought into.
Mankind did not have TV or video games for over 6000 years and survived just fine. The first color TV broadcast was not until 1954 and the first home video game system (Magnavox Odyssey) did not hit the shelves until 1972. Compare those dates with these... in January 2008 there were 3 billion videos watched on YouTube. In September 2007, Halo 3 set an industry record with $170 million in sales during its first 24 hours on the market. That record was recently broke by the Grand Theft Auto 4 with sold around $300 million in the first 24 hours. Things are changing fast and are out of control in our society. Unfortunately, Christians are not significantly different from the world in regard to wasting time and consuming godless and profane entertainment.
There's so much to say on this topic that it's difficult to really cover the bases in a single e-mail. I would encourage you to visit our website and order the book I wrote "What Wouldn't Jesus Do?" or you can download the audio for free. We have recently completed a 123 page workbook that could be very helpful to you as well. Don't hesitate to call or write back with any other thoughts or questions you might have.
You had also asked about how to remain a Christian under such pressure when you go to college. The answer is to love Jesus more than you love the world. If you only follow Christ when it is convenient then you have not yet truly understood what being a follower of Christ truly means. It says in the book of Revelation that the Christians overcame by "the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death". We are called to run the race to the finish and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ.
I hope this is helpful. God bless you!
Q: I'm a video game and TV addict. How do I stop?
A: There are usually two different issues in a person's life that leads to various media addictions. The first has to do with the heart. If your life has not found its satisfaction in Christ you will try to fill the spiritual void with other things and entertainment becomes a convenient electronic escape. If you have a relationship with Jesus then the issue can also come from a lack of discipleship (discipline) in your life. A growing disciple of Jesus is constantly challenged to have an eternal perspective instead of a mere worldly perspective. That takes training and much of Jesus' ministry to His disciples was teaching them about the Kingdom of God and how they need to seek first the Kingdom. If we truly have a sense that our lives belong to God and that we will give an account of our lives before Christ one day then we will start to take seriously the eternal things and stop wasting our time with the things of the world. Not all entertainment is bad but much of it (if not most of it) fuels the flesh instead of the Spirit.
The Bible says in Galatians 6:7-8 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life."
I would encourage you to kick start some new convictions in your life by going on a video game and TV fast for 40 days. Jesus fasted from food for 40 days before beginning His ministry and 40 days throughout the Bible is a significant number. You may think, "there's no way I can go 40 days without TV or video games" but that is simply a deception that you've bought into.
Mankind did not have TV or video games for over 6000 years and survived just fine. The first color TV broadcast was not until 1954 and the first home video game system (Magnavox Odyssey) did not hit the shelves until 1972. Compare those dates with these... in January 2008 there were 3 billion videos watched on YouTube. In September 2007, Halo 3 set an industry record with $170 million in sales during its first 24 hours on the market. That record was recently broke by the Grand Theft Auto 4 with sold around $300 million in the first 24 hours. Things are changing fast and are out of control in our society. Unfortunately, Christians are not significantly different from the world in regard to wasting time and consuming godless and profane entertainment.
There's so much to say on this topic that it's difficult to really cover the bases in a single e-mail. I would encourage you to visit our website and order the book I wrote "What Wouldn't Jesus Do?" or you can download the audio for free. We have recently completed a 123 page workbook that could be very helpful to you as well. Don't hesitate to call or write back with any other thoughts or questions you might have.
You had also asked about how to remain a Christian under such pressure when you go to college. The answer is to love Jesus more than you love the world. If you only follow Christ when it is convenient then you have not yet truly understood what being a follower of Christ truly means. It says in the book of Revelation that the Christians overcame by "the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death". We are called to run the race to the finish and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ.
I hope this is helpful. God bless you!
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