God has given each of us a limited number of resources—in particular, time, money, talents, and energy. And we are commanded to be good stewards of each (cf. Ephesians 5:15; Ecclesiastes 11:9; Mark 12:30).
How we use those resources is reflective of our priorities. As Jesus said, speaking specifically of money, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Christians must consider how they can use their resources not solely for their own leisure and entertainment, but for the work of the gospel.
Recent studies show that the average American watches more than five hours of television per day, which, spread over a 70-year lifespan, amounts to more than 14 years of viewing. Some of that may be instructive and diversionary, but such statistics force us to consider what Christ will say to those believers who have spent a fifth of their lives—or more—staring at the tube (cf. Romans 14:10-12). And that doesn’t even begin to factor in all the additional time that most people waste on the Internet.
So ask yourself how much real benefit you receive from watching television and movies or playing video games, and weigh that against the time you spend in spiritual pursuits. How much money do you spend on temporal amusements, and how does that compare to your eternal investments? How hard do you labor not to advance your own agenda but to further the work of Christ’s kingdom? These are heart questions every believer needs to ask. As stewards of the King (Matthew 25:14-30), we have been called to so much more than our own entertainment.
(Adapted from Right Thinking in a World Gone Wrong.)
