Hello blog world,
It’s been awhile. It’s ok…I’ve been busy. And you’re not on my high priority list.
With that said, I want to share with you a realization I have had recently. This summer, I had the opportunity to read and reflect on Tim Keller’s challenging book, “Counterfeit Gods”. Tim is a pastor in inner city New York and has written several books, including “The Reason for God”. I would label him as one of the sharpest people that I’ve ever heard speak.
The thesis of his book is to challenge the reader to reflect on their life and see what idols have taken over their lives. While there is a lot that can be said in that regards, the idol that I’ve realized that has been in my life for a long time, and one that totally permeates the culture, is the god of entertainment. A friend of mine recently observed that there is a difference between resting and being entertained. I think that is completely true; however, it had never occurred to me before that moment. I’ve always considered entertainment as more of a normal occurrence in life…rather than a privilege.
When I arrive home after a long day at work, I find myself wanting to relax and rest…which typically means me watching TV or surfing the Internet for the latest sports news. A “restful” weekend typically means one where I’ve watched college football on Saturday and NFL on Sunday. Recently, I spent a 3 day weekend with a friend doing very little else than watching football, movies, and playing Playstation 3 (NCAA Football of course!). While it was fun & relaxing, it definitely wasn’t restful and refreshing. During the same weekend, I avoided spending much time with the Lord…giving myself the excuse that I was on “vacation”.
With all that coming to mind over the past few days, I’ve realized that I value entertainment in my life much too highly. I absolutely LOVE watching sports and following along with them; however, they can’t and will never be the source of life.
A friend of mine recently tweeted: “The fact that we post and tweet more about sports than God on Sundays speaks volumes of our hearts.” At first, I had a knee-jerk reaction…I wanted to defend myself from his tweet. The very fact that his quote caused a defensive reaction in me testifies to the inward state of my heart.
So…why do I share all of this? Partly out of a narcissistic desire to be heard and gain attention (aren’t all blogs that way?)…and partly out of a personal conviction that has sprung up within me. How often do we rely on entertainment to get us through difficult times? I know that I’ve watched movies, played video games, or sporting events to provide me a place to “escape” from the real issues in my life.
My encouragement to you and to myself is twofold: Repent and believe the Good News that Jesus is the only true Life-giver, and that He absolutely desires and demands to be Lord.
That’s it.