Gaming: The Alternative

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. He sent his son to bring both a new life and
the newness of life, His Son Jesus brings the hope of redemption to
sin-darkened minds and pursuits. 

Too  many Christians
live in conformity to the world, that is we live as the fall were all that
mattered. Conformity to the world means at least these two points. The first
point is that conformity to the world means to attempt to change the impact of
the fall without the vision of creation for what things could have been.  The second point is that conformity to the
world means the attempt to change the impact of the fall apart from the redemptive
power of Christ.  So, progress is
measured by changes in behavior, not a growing love for Jesus Christ and his
ways. This is what the world does – it manipulates behavior so that the impact
of the fall will be less troublesome. 
The world of the fall becomes “the real world”; creation and redemption
are of no practical consideration. 

So, for example, when you consider the area of gaming it may
seem wise to limit the time spent gaming as the solution to too much time spent
on games.  This is living in light of the
fall and not appreciating the magnificence of what we were created to be nor
the power of redemption to be able to see God’s power in life and its pursuits.
  So,
we settle for manipulating behavior rather than challenging the heart.

This is what Colossians 2:8 warns about:

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.

I want to move slowly here with this foundational material
to provide time for you to think these things through. Let me know your
thoughts and questions.  There will be
practical applications to the gaming issue in the next post.

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