Parenting can seem to be a lonely occupation at times—just you, the kids, and the digital clock on the nightstand. Gone from your memory are the baby showers, first steps, birthday parties, and adoring friends fawning over your children. Instead, you are faced with one child who is sick and another one who is whining that he has no one to play with since his sister is sick in bed (the same sister that has gifted you with the same cold she has). Your husband is out of town for three days and it is raining, a cold winter’s rain. Lonely, indeed. Two thousand years ago, your brother Paul knelt before his Father and yours and prayed a simple, profound […]
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We have looked at some challenging topics in recent weeks: Facebook, Schoolwork and Gaming. Now I want to take the next several posts to focus on the wonder of Christ. Parenting is a demanding and draining calling. The tendency of our flesh is to fall into a routine and then to count on that routine to keep us on track. While there is value in routine, it must not drive your parenting. To present the wonder of Christ to your children, regardless of their age, Christ himself must be a wonder to you. Ephesians 3:14-21 will help you to see the awesome wonder of Christ. Too often, this passage is seen as a summary statement, or inspirational thoughts, but it […]
As we conclude this series on gaming, there is one more question that remains: Can Christians engage in gaming with a good conscience? The answer, I believe, is yes, given a significant qualifier: This pursuit must be done with biblical wisdom. Wisdom is the skill that comes from a deep passionate love of God’s truth. You may have been born with intelligence, precocity, and a good memory, but with regard to wisdom, you were born a fool. Wisdom is a skill that may only be acquired through great energy and faith. Protection from the allure of gaming comes from a vigorous pursuit of wisdom. Take a moment to read Proverbs 1:30-2:6. 30 since they would not accept my advice […]
Whenever you find an activity that is not directly mentioned in Scripture, it is necessary to find the biblical principles that apply to the activity. It is important to identify the appropriate principles because no activity is neutral before God. As Romans 14:23 says, "…whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." "Electronic gaming" is one of those phrases that is missing from your concordance, but it is surely a part of life to which the Bible applies. As we have seen in previous posts, it is helpful to place any activity (such as gaming) in the context of creation, the fall and redemption. The process of biblical analysis would be to ask the following questions: How was the principle […]
Here is brief summary of the posts on gaming to date. There are at least two defining biblical principles that can be applied to gaming: 1. Gaming must not detract from a biblically productive life. 2. Gaming, if it is to be done, must proceed from faith. Proverbs 12:11 demonstrates that electronic gaming can definitely lead to a lack of productivity. ("11 He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment." niv) The next issue, then, is to understand what drives the desire for gaming. This was examined in the post on gaming and pursuit. Finally, in the last post, we began to look at how to offer a biblical alternative. We’ll pick […]
Creation. Fall. Redemption. These are the great themes of humanity. No, you won’t see these three themes given much status by AP, CNN, USA Today, Fox News or for that matter, Rush Limbaugh. These are however, God’s themes. Creation speaks of the majestic plan and purpose of God for planet Earth. Then came the fall and all of mankind was plunged into darkness and pursuit of the glory of self rather than the glory of God. The stunning creature that was man, the creature that Psalm 8 speaks of, began to use his powerful attributes in self-worship. What has followed in human history has not been pretty. But, God in his mercy did not leave man in futile, evil darkness. […]
In the last post on gaming we looked at the difference between the pursuit of productivity and the pursuit of fantasy. The operative word here is pursuit. Proverbs 12:11 contrasts someone who productively works his land with someone who chases or pursues empty fantasies. Both individuals are in active pursuit of a goal. Sometimes the one chasing fantasies becomes obsessed with his pursuit, even though it is meaningless. This is true of hard-core gamers. Everything else in life becomes secondary—the game is the thing. While your children may not be at the level of the seriously hard-core, it is not difficult to see when the games pull them toward obsession. You may think to yourself, what is the big deal, […]
This Monday, February 2nd, I have the privilege of doing a live radio interview with Rick Horne, author of Get Outta My Face. You can listen live on the Internet at 1 pm, at this location: http://www.christiantalk660.com Just click on the listen button. It is a call-in program, so call 1-888-660-9535 if you would like to join in. I would love to hear from you. This book is a needed and helpful addition to the field of dealing with teenagers. Sadly, too many Christian families are plagued by intense and disturbing relations between parents and their teenage children. Rick Horne takes these issues head on and offers targeted help from the rich resources of biblical wisdom literature. Here is an […]
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8 Last year I did a number of posts about the Superbowl. The links to those posts are listed below. While I don’t want to revisit all that was said in those posts here, I do want to draw your attention to combination of sport, spectacle and motivational manipulation that is the Superbowl. Even in a down economy NBC is getting 3 million dollars for 30 second commercial during the game. These commercials tell us much about what advertising industry leaders think will motivate viewers to action. The Superbowl […]
He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. Proverbs 12:11 Let's look first at how gaming can detract from a productive life. As we do, consider this: to the extent that gaming detracts from or lessens being productive, to that extent it must be avoided. Tremper Longman’s commentary on this Proverb captures the essence of the problem. Longman translates the phrase "…he who chases fantasies lacks judgment." with the phrase "…he who pursues emptiness lacks heart." …The emphasis here is not so much on lack of exertion, but rather that energy is misdirected.He goes on to say that what is pursued in this situation lacks substance. (Longman, 274) In his […]