Editors note: This is the second column in a four-part series about entanglement. Read the first column here.
No man that warreth entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (2 Timothy 2:4)
We used to have a full service gas station in our community. It was called Grugin’s. It was a friendly place, and it was very convenient. Over the years, I have become friends with the family that owned the place.
As a kid, that was my favorite place to buy candy. I would go as often as I could. Then one day, I notice a bunch of teenagers huddle in the back of the store. As I got closer, they were huddled around this huge TV like thing that had various buttons. I could tell that the buttons controlled the cartoon like characters on the screen. That was my first introduction to an arcade machine.
I was instantly intrigued. The teenagers were so tall so I couldn’t really see that good. I would peak through the cracks of their little huddle. It looked so fun. I noticed that they would put coins in the bottom of it. That must be what allowed them to play.
One day, as I was making my candy run, I walked in and looked to the right and no one was back there. The arcade machines were open! Now, I had a dilemma. Candy or the game? I just had to try this arcade machine. I put my coin in and I was playing! Oh, how fun it was! I used another coin. Then another.
Finally, I was out of money, but I had fun. That night I thought one thing: I had to do it again tomorrow.
I told my mom about the video game. She just told me to make sure I was careful when I had to cross the street. My friends and I would race to Grugin’s everyday until it happened. I was hit by a car!
I spent several days in the hospital. I remember my mother in the ambulance with me. She looked at me and said, “You know who we believe in.” I knew she was talking about the Lord. I only had a broken wrist. All would eventually be OK.
This prompted my grandmother to give me an early Christmas present. It was a Nintendo. It was a new video gaming system. I could play all day from my couch. This was so awesome. It became one of my favorite hobbies. As new gaming systems came out my parents would buy them and games for me. It was just something that I really enjoyed.
Now, fast forward to 2004. I still loved video games. At the same time I started coming into the things of God. I developed a longing for God and His Word. My mother and pastor were teaching about having a prayer and Word life.
They were teaching me about having a relationship with God. I loved my new walk with God. I was growing by leaps and bounds. My mom would tell me that when I opened my eyes, I should pray and read the Bible before I do anything.
I was working third shift at a factory, so I would usually wake up around 2 p.m. I started praying and reading like mama said. That would last about 20-30 minutes. Then I would play video games for 4-5 hours a day.
I remember this one weekend night, God woke me up at about 3 a.m. As soon as I opened my eyes I heard the Lord say Acts 17. I immediately grabbed my Bible and started reading that chapter and then I came to verse 23: For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found and altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD, Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him I declare I unto you (Acts 17:23).
I was stunned! I was worshiping a video game. It had become my God. God wasn’t mad at me. He was showing me that I needed to rearrange my priorities. I needed to take a step back and evaluate how I was using my time. God isn’t against video games. However, too much of anything other than God could potentially be toxic.
We don’t wanna admit it, but when we give anything too much energy and time we become subject to that thing. That thing could be a career, relationship or or an aspiration. I had become entangled in video games.
It was an addiction that took me a while to conquer. You would think I would listen to God and walk away. It wasn’t that easy. Stay tuned because I’m not done with this story.
The Rev. Ron Moore Jr. is the associate minister at First Corinthian Baptist Church in Frankfort. Contact him at Revronmoore@gmail.com.
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Ron Moore Jr.: Entanglement — Too much of anything other than God could be toxic - State-Journal.com
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