EPHESIANS 5
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
WASTING MY TIME
I wonder if you are like me, the time I waste on worthless stuff on my cell phone is uncountable.
Now cell phones aren’t the only problem for people today, there are also video games, which seem to have taken over millions of young people’s lives.
Many people not just in China, but across the world are trapped for hours in a cycle that cannot be broken by human means.
Now there are programmes that can help, but they can’t get to the root of the problem and that is Sin.
Now are there good points about Cell phones/video games:
Well cell phones allow us to use apps that are very useful, to make secure payments, to travel safety and to pay bills. The cell phone has many apps that are useful.
Video games are beneficial as your hand and eye coordination will certainly improve and they can be educational.. well one or two can.
So what’s so bad about these technological marvels:
First of all, they are time wasting thieves.
I know this from my own life, I can spend time checking on websites or looking at things on you tube, and I look at the time and an hour has gone by.
We need to realise that every minute we have is a precious gift. I am now nearing 70 and I look back at my life and wonder how much time, I have wasted looking at worthless stuff on the internet or cell phone, but I can’t have that time back, I wish I could.
In Ephesians 5:16, we are told to redeem the time, literally to buy it back. So how do we do this:
Instead of using our time to play the video game or surf the internet, use that time for something that is worthwhile.
For the Christian, this means taking time to spend time with God in prayer and bible reading.
The more time we do this, the less attractive the video game/cell phone becomes.
When was the last time you turned off your cell phone and computer and got your bible and notebook and did a bible study on your own, asking the Lord to open his word to you?
When was the last time, you spent an hour in prayer with the Lord, just pouring out your heart to him？
Now I realise that some people who are reading this, who aren’t Christians, so my first plea to you is this.
You need to come to God in repentance and faith, because you can’t deal with these things on your own. If you come in faith, God will forgive your sin, give you a new heart and enable you to deal with these addictions.
If you as a teenager are spending hours on your cell phone or playing vide games, be warned.
You think that you have all the time in the world, let me assure you, time goes so quickly, it seems like yesterday, that I was at school and everything was new, but now that time is gone, please don’t waste a second. Don’t live with any regrets.
Find a hobby that doesn’t involve the cell phone.. do exercise, many young people who constantly play cell phone/video games have obesity issues.
PSALM 119
9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
Secondly, what are you putting into your mind?
What you listen to, look at and play online stays in your mind.
Once junk is ingrained in your mind, it will stay there. You see the Christian has to be refreshed and renewed by the word of God.
Romans 12
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Daily meditation on the word of God, will allow your mind to be cleansed of all the junk, my cell phone has a junk feature, if I let too much junk build up on my phone, eventually the phone will not run properly, likewise if we are constantly putting junk into our lives, our minds and eventually our bodies will begin to suffer.
Great verses to concentrate on are these:
Psalm 119
37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
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So we must turn away from wicked things, but what must we turn them to.
Every time you go on your cell phone and view a website, ask yourself these questions based on this verse, is it pure, true, honest and virtuous.
Philippians 4
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Thirdly, people who have addictions start off slowly, every alcoholic started by drinking a sip of beer or wine, once addicted it holds you captive and it gets worse.
So it is with people who are addicted to video games/internet pornography, each of them start off slowly, it’s just one video game, it’s just one website and you end up spending hours and hours on these things.
Your whole life is taken over completely by this desperate need to play this or that video game, to achieve the top score at that game.
The people who play these games need this to gain security, a security that can only be gained through Christ.
Fourthly, video games are not reality.
Today, there is virtual reality, but it is not real life.
It gives the player an artificial sense of achievement, the player thinks he has security and achievement, but as I have said, security can only be found in Christ.
Why are you seeking security, a sense of belonging on your cell phone/video game console, you will never find it there.
Jeremiah 2
13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
Fifthly, it causes isolation and break up of relationships.
Many teenagers spend hours on their video game console, they don’t stop to eat meals, they don’t even stop to converse with parents. Their whole life is the video game console. The first thing they go to in the morning is their video game, the whole house is controlled by the game console.
Family meals/family time/family conversation is blocked out because the children are spending time playing the current craze.
Part 2 soon