Wednesday, April 17, 2013

A Captivating Challenge



 Some wonderful friends of ours lent us a documentary they own a few weeks ago. It took us 3 consecutive nights just to get through the whole thing because we were so exhausted we kept falling asleep. This seriously had NOTHING to do with the content of the documentary, because we both found it fascinating and convicting. It truly was because we were dog-tired and could not keep our eyelids opened!

Before Josh and I were married, we collected quite an assortment of video gaming paraphernalia. To our shame, I admit that by the time we were married, the two of us owned:

A PlayStation 2
An Original XBox
An XBox 360
A Nintendo 64
A Nintendo GameCube
An Original Gameboy
2 Nintendo DS Gameboys
Hundreds of Games
Dozens of Player's Guides/Manuals and Accessories
The Nintendo Wii came out during the first year we were married and we sat in line to buy one of those too. In fact, we sat in line many times to buy Nintendo Wii's because we found that if we were willing to sit for a few hours to get one, someone would be willing to pay us a few hundred dollars so that they didn't have to. That year we paid for all of our Christmas presents out of the profits from selling Nintendo Wii consoles!

Anyway, about two months ago I began to clean out underneath our entertainment unit because I needed some extra storage space. I was so appalled at how much money we had thrown away over the years! Easily thousands and thousands of dollars! What fools! Josh and I decided that we would keep the Wii, throw away the really outdated stuff, and sell the rest.

Thankfully, I was not successful in selling our video gaming collection. After watching Captivated, we were so convicted that we had been willing to sell these things that only serve to draw people's hearts away from God. We decided that if it wasn't good enough for us to use in our home, then it certainly was not anything we wanted to pass on to anyone else. 

This morning James and JoyAnna and I went through and took out all of the game discs from their cases. We separated them in case someone picked through the trash (which, believe it or not, there are several regulars who come through the neighborhood on Garbage Eve to see what treasures they might find) and carried them off. I placed the cases in a garbage bag. It was so full I could barely tie it shut! The game discs we threw in the kitchen garbage to be tied up in that bag and thrown away separately. 

Next I cleaned out my fridge. I found some expired jars of olives, pickles and creamy salad dressings tucked way in the back of the bottom shelf. And a bottle of Heinz ketchup that had been purchased accidentally, (I don't use Heinz because it has so much HFCS in it), and squirted that on top for good measure. There was even a third of a can of whipped cream that got thrown into the mix. Now, even if anyone should dig through to the bottom of the can, hopefully it's such a mess they would never dare haul away that junk. Next week I will throw away the consoles, being careful to place them at the very bottom of the can. We don't want to have an overflowing garbage can come Friday to draw any extra attention to what might be in there.

We had read about the golden calf that the Israelites were worshipping while Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from God just last night. So this morning, I explained how these video games can become like the golden calf and how Mama and Daddy don't want to have anything in our home anymore that does not help us to love and honor God more.

Two weeks ago, before we had watched Captivated, the Lord led us to clean out any DVD's that had any sort of suggestive or unholy language, images or plots. There really weren't many. But one or two favorite old movies got thrown away. Josh parted with Gone With The Wind and I parted with What About Bob.

I have to say that I have so much peace and such a sense of lightness now! It has made such a difference in the attitude of my heart. Even  the whole attitude of our home seems to have changed for the better as well!

I challenge you to watch and consider the challenges presented in Captivated! 

 

I think you will be very glad you did!

Here is ALL of the junk we got rid of today!

1 comment:

  1. Praising God with you, for His faithfulness to reveal and convict, and for your faithfulness to hear and respond. You are right, it is so easy to fall into the "media trap" - and even be unaware that you are in it. May God continue to reveal to us other things, that are in the same way,keeping us from serving Him with heart, soul, mind, and strength. I am proud of you, my sister. Praying God will use your words and actions to inspire others to do the same. To God be the glory!

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