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Archive for May, 2010
Turning Our Focusing From Entertainment to People
(A Modified Excerpt from Holy Subversion by Trevin Wax)
When our free time revolves around constant entertainment, we miss out on what is best. We are enslaved to the fun of a fleeting moment, while missing out on relationships that could last a lifetime. The absence of constant entertainment is one reason many of my Romanian friendships seemed so much deeper than my American friendships. The Romanian friendships were built on quality time, good conversation, and honesty, whereas most of my American friendships were built on activities, hopping from one fun activity to the next, with very little time for quality conversation.
God has created us for more than shallow friendships that boil down to activities and entertainment that rob us of our time together. He desires us to have strong, healthy relationships with others. That will not happen unless we are spending time with people, not things.
Churches also must focus on people instead of entertainment. Some churches have chosen to wade in shallow waters, replacing the Word of God with a bombardment of fast-moving images on a big screen. Likewise, our church calendars are filled with so many programs that we hurry from one church activity to another: game night, choir practice, youth activities, dramas, movie night, softball games, etc. Of course, these activities can be good times of fellowship. But they can also sap us of our energy for true kingdom work and deceive us into thinking our busy calendar represents spiritual vitality.
Help Us Choose a Cover for “Hope for Your Heart”
Early next year (February 2011), Crossway will be publishing a new book by June Hunt called Hope for Your Heart: Finding Strength in Life’s Storms. We’d love for you to offer your feedback on the cover by voting for your favorite. Here’s a short description of Hope for Your Heart:
Hope is much more than sentimentalism or a vague emotion. Biblical hope has the power to heal the broken and the power to change lives. Shunning pop psychology and shallow inspirationalism, author June Hunt faithfully looks at what the Bible teaches about hope.
Those experiencing brokenness and hurt will find encouragement and healing as they encounter the hope of the Bible. Written from a counselor’s heart, this book will also benefit pastors and others engaged in counseling ministry.
Please vote for your favorite cover below (and feel free to leave any comments). Thanks for taking the time to participate in this survey. We value your input!
Purposefully Structuring Our Free Time in a Way That Glorifies God
(A Modified Excerpt from Holy Subversion by Trevin Wax)
The New Testament demonstrates a sense of urgency when speaking about the last days. The apostle Paul writes: Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Eph. 5:15–17)
Paul tells us not to make good use of our time, but to make the best use of our time. His understanding of the present evil age leads him to strong exhortation regarding the way followers of Jesus must manage our time. Our lives are so short. James reminds us that our life is little more than “a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”
Why then do we fritter so much of our lives away in front of the television screen? Why do we spend every evening playing or watching sports? Why do we spend our weekends roaming the shopping malls, looking at more things we do not need?
Jesus tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Seeking first the kingdom means we are not seeking after the same things as the pagan world around us: food, drink, and clothing. We must take a good look at our lives.
Do we shop as often, and for the same things, as our non-Christian neighbors? Do we covet all the newest fashions?
Are we as drawn to the latest technological gizmos as everyone else? Too often, we give lip service to seeking first the kingdom, while our lives demonstrate pagan preoccupations.
Trevin offers some practical application:
Prioritizing our Faith – Will we make time for daily Bible study and prayer? Will we share meals around the table instead of in front of the tube? Will we engage in family prayer and worship?
Sports – When organized sports leagues play on Sundays will we pay lip service to Jesus as king and yet demonstrate by our recreational choices that something else is on the throne?
Planning Quiet Moments – Are you planning moments of contemplative solitude?
Avoiding Time Wasters – Maybe this means taking the radical step of cutting television altogether. Some fast from television. Some return cable boxes. The point is, are you structuring free time to avoid time wasters?
Intentionality – My wife and I practice “intentional TV watching.” Every now and then, we will purchase a DVD of a classic television show we enjoy, and over time, we will watch the episodes together. Entertainment can and should be enjoyed, but it must never dominate our lives. We structure our time in such a way that it is obvious to the world that we have different priorities.
Leisure: Loving God with Your Mind Verses Mindless Entertainment
Thinking seriously about free time means we must resist the temptation to check our minds at the door when we are being entertained. Sometimes I hear fellow believers talking about how much they enjoyed a recent movie that carries a blatantly anti-Christian message. If I ever inquire about a movie’s philosophy or teaching, I sometimes receive this reply: “Can’t you just enjoy the movie? When I go to the theater, I don’t want to think! I just want to take it in.”
Such a mindless attitude towards entertainment is devastating for the Christian. If we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, then we must avoid giving Hollywood maximum power to form us into the image of this world. The apostle Paul encourages us to have our minds renewed in Romans 12:1-2.
Thinking seriously about our free time means we should carefully monitor the shows that our children watch, too. Television advertising tells our children, at the earliest ages, what they “need” to make them happy. Many of today’s cartoons tell children that they need only to listen to their heart and believe in themselves in order to succeed in life.
We must be constantly on guard, always thinking seriously about the messages we’re hearing.
(Excerpt from Holy Subversion by Trevin Wax pp 93-94)
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