Wasted Days and Wasted Nights

Several days ago, I was having a conversation with somebody that posed the question, "How would our world be different if only news and educational shows were aired on television?"

What?! No Idol? No Lost? No Dancing? No BASEBALL? (of course, Cardinal baseball could be considered educational for Cub or Royals fans!)

Think about it. If we didn't watch stories about other people living make-believe lives and were actually living life ourselves, how would we be different? Would we converse (actually talk) with family members more. Would we be in better health because we spend more time doing things rather than parked on our butts eating snacks and watching others do things? Would we become more intellectual and better informed about the cultures that we share the planet with if we only watched educational shows or news programs instead of the garbage that we currently fill our heads with?

Would we spend less money on the worthless junk that is constantly paraded across our screens in the way of advertisements? Would we eat less junk food? Buy fewer diet programs? Would we do without the latest can't live without it item (that we've been doing well without) that will end up in next year's garage sale?

What would we do with all of the time that we spend vegetating in front of our television sets letting somebody else do and think and live for us?

To be fair--the set has an on/off switch and a channel selector. But we are a weak people. We are easily swayed by the promotional genius of the broadcast world and slowly enticed to relax in the comfort of the sofa and slip into the false reality that we dream of living in.

Overall, we don't watch too much TV in our home. It is a rare occasion that more than one set is on at a time and we don't have the same taste in programming. Most of the time (like now) the TV is off. Even so, when it is on, it is usually a waste of precious time. So think about this--the next time you sit down to watch your favorite reality show, sit-com, or serial; what could you (or should you) be doing that would be more beneficial to you or somebody you care about? Would the time be better spent playing catch with your kids, calling a friend or family member, finishing a project that you've been putting off, reading a Good Book (hint, hint, wink), or just talking to each other in a conversation that lasts longer than the time allocated for commercials?

Well it appears that the rain has stopped (for the moment) on this Saturday morning and I have horses to tend to and a life to live. I hope that tomorrow (Sunday) will find you worshiping God with fellow believers somewhere. If you don't have a church home and live in the Ozark area, I invite you to join us at Hopedale.

I hope that every day finds you worshiping God.

John

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1