Entertained to Death (Continued)

My concern for our culture's obsession with entertainment, starting with my students, is personal. I am a guilty party, and on some level, I could argue most of us are. Today, I want to briefly show the characteristics I've observed of people who thrive on being entertained to death and the truth God's Word offers to counteract this ungodly mentality. 

The Dangers of Entertainment Overload

1) My World Syndrome: "The most important person in this world is me, myself, and I. You only matter if you can help me get what I need or want. I can do whatever I want, even if it hurts you."

2) ADD: "I haven't been diagnosed with ADD clinically, but I can't concentrate on anything unless it entertains me."

3) Duh Disease: "I don't know things I should know because I know so many things I shouldn't. People say "duh" to me (loudly or silently) because I seem to be out in left field when it comes to common knowledge and even worse, biblical knowledge.  I mean, who really sits still to read the Bible?"

4) What's in It for Me Disorder: "Nothing going on in this world matters unless it is clear how it will help or hurt me today."

The Truth

1) This is His world. This is not your world. Again, this is His world. And He came to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. Follow His example. (Mark 10:45)

2) You better pay attention to His words. You can meditate on the Word just like you meditate on entertainment. Pray for a desire to learn more. Force yourself to memorize scripture--write it on your heart. (Psalm 119:11)

3) You can know His Word. You can have wisdom, so pray for it, and like James tells us, wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, reasonable, gentle... (James 3:17)

4) It's not about you; it's about Him and others. Stop thinking of how things will affect you and think about how they affect others. Be a good Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37)

Also, consider these verses: 

Psalm 115: 4-7 (ESV)
Their idols are silver and gold,   

    the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
    eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear;
    noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel;
    feet, but do not walk;
    and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Those who make them become like them;    so do all who trust in them.

Do we want to worship the heathen idols found here? I don't think so. My God speaks, sees, and hears us. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-consuming. He is worthy of our time and worship. The entertainment idols we have aren't worth anything in the long run. They mean absolutely nothing when we stop to think. (Oh, snap! We don't stop to think anymore, do we?)

As a teacher of young adults, I get on a soapbox about this subject pretty often. I desire my students to see that it's not all about them and their iPods, iPhones, or iPads. It's not about you or me either. So, let's unplug and charge our batteries on the things that matter.