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From November 2012
My son, my nephew and I were sitting in the living room this afternoon. Nephew (22) says, “When I have kids, I’m gonna try to get them big into gaming,” as he held up the DS. He added another comment on how his children would be raised, but let’s leave that for part 2.
I was blown away by that statement and it got me thinking.
The kids of their generation have been taught to stop doing anything physical; just sit around the house, sucked into the game they are trying to beat, or achieve higher levels. I thank the Lord that my son would rather be outside playing football or basketball, or riding his bike. He plays games sometimes, but not on a daily or even weekly basis.
Technology is great, don’t get me wrong…….I wouldn’t be able to survive without it…..but too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. When technology is interfering with relationships and physical activity it’s too much. Remember in “Thoughts from a Sweat-Soaked Pillow” I told you about my marital strains? One of the culprits of our lack of communication was technology and gaming. When we made the decision to fight through the hardships, he sold his computer. Why?
-Because gaming is addictive: mentally (suddenly you realize hours and hours have passed and you haven’t had a real conversation in who knows how long and haven’t accomplished anything you set out to do that day. You know you’ve been there at some point).
-Because he realized our relationship meant more to him then the thing that kept taking him away from me. (I know so many couples whose marriages are severely strained or have fallen apart because of excessive gaming).
He still gets his computer fix; I’m not the Wicked-Wife of the West (oh wait! I live in the East….whatever!). Now he moderates himself. Don’t worry I gave up stuff too, but that’s a different thought.
What I’ve realized on my journey through life is that the reason why we are on this earth is relationships: relationship with God; relationship with family; relationship with friends; relationship with strangers (you get the point). There was a time not so long ago that families played games together (my son still will with me); games that allowed for conversation, bonding.
We were made for love. The bible tells us “love one another” 19 times (I listed a few) in the NIV version New Testament (I love Biblegateway.com). If my friend told me something 19 times, I think it would register as important to do:
In Matthew 22 it says,
“The Greatest Commandment
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
I’m not saying to delete technology from family time, I’m saying that we need to make sure we are not trading our quality time for something that hinders our relationships and teaches us to seclude ourselves.
We can’t show others love if we are hooked to an electronic device all the time.
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