I’m a sucker for cat memes. I binge TV shows. I can surf the net for hours and play games on my Kindle. Screens can rest a weary mind, entertain and fill the silence. It’s fun, but what do I gain from it? I don’t even remember the things I saw and did just yesterday. Those hours I gave away are gone. I wonder what I missed. Do screens keep us from actually living life? Or are they a distraction?
***
Everything is permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial.
Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything
[and brought under its power, allowing it to control me].
1 Corinthians 6:12 Amplified Bible
Paul actually says it twice:
All things are lawful [that is, morally legitimate, permissible],
but not all things are beneficial or advantageous.
All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive [to character]
and edifying [to spiritual life].
1 Corinthians 10:23 Amplified Bible
***
God will never adjust His agenda to fit ours.
He will not speed up His pace to catch up with ours;
we need to slow our pace in order to recover our walk with Him.
God will not scream and shout over the noisy clamor;
He expects us to seek quietness,
where His still small voice can be heard again.
Charles R. Swindoll
So, looking through Paul’s lens, are screens beneficial … or are they enslaving?
But maybe a better question is: would Jesus watch, scroll, or surf with me? Do I want Him to?
Or can I do better?
***
Heavenly Father,
In this sacred season of Lent,
I lay down my distractions and lift my eyes to You.
Teach me to seek Your kingdom above all else,
to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
In Jesus’ name, Amen