Entertainment. I enjoy entertainment as much as anyone else, but it can be a time killer if you let it be. America seems thoroughly addicted to reality TV, online games, texting, virtual worlds, and all out fun in any form and fashion.
Where do you fit in? Do you have a handle on entertainment? Does it have a handle on you?
I’m not knocking computers, video games, or other forms of entertainment. There is a time and place for fun. However, I have noticed that America’s appetite for entertainment seems to be growing.
When computer and video games became popular, I began to wonder what the long-term effects would be on America. I saw young folks that probably should have been out looking for jobs glued firmly to television screens. I began to wonder what would happen if it went on unchecked. I suspected America’s productivity would drop.
Guess what is the number one complaint business owners make about social networking? Employees are goofing off instead of working. I usually hear that as a reason for a company to not to delve into the online world. Personal social media accounts and texting seem to be a productivity killer.
I’ve also heard a plethora of other complaints about our lifestyles being built around entertainment. Texting has taken the place of face-to-face meaningful conversation for some. Relationships in virtual worlds and other social media have busted up marriages and crossed over into real life in other unwelcoming ways. Many churches have become entertainment driven.
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
Proverbs 6:6-11
For all practical purposes, an entertained America is like a sleeping sluggard. We are blind to the important things in life. We need to get our heads on straight. We need to awake from our slumber. America, we need to give more attention to what is going on around us. We need to give more attention to God, our families, and our jobs. We need to put what is important first.
If your dreams are passing you by, perhaps you have lost focus. Perhaps something – entertainment for example – has a hold on you. Grab hold of life, and live each moment wisely.
LIFE APPLICATION
Today’s challenge is to chart how much time you spend on entertainment. Pay close attention to what that is replacing in your life. Is your relationship with God suffering? What about your relationship with your children or your spouse? Everyone needs some down time. However, too much time spent on entertainment can rob you of the things you value in life. Your job can suffer. Opportunities to build family memories and teach value lessons can pass you by. Keep up with the chart for about a week. Then pray asking God to show you where you need to change.