Many people struggle with addiction of some kind. Smoking, sex, alcohol, pornography, you name it. However, over the years I've struggled with an addiction that will receive more attention in the coming years: video games.
I've been playing them ever since I was 3, when my dad picked up a NES with Super Mario Bros. and started stomping on Goombas. I wasn't drawn to them at first, but over time I began to play myself. That Christmas, my dad got me Super Mario Bros. 2, and from then on it was over. I did other things, but I enjoyed my time in front of the NES the most. This grew until I was known by both friends and family for my fondness of games.
Lots of things appealed to me. I wasn't a very physically talented kid, so playing something that I was good at was good for my self-esteem. You didn't need to have anyone else around to enjoy playing. They were (at the time) mentally challenging. And once you got bored of playing a game, you just pick up another one, and all of the rules, setting, and experience changed to where it was fun again. This allowed me to sit in front of a TV or computer for hours and hours, which I gladly did.
This addiction went on well into adulthood. As before, I was known among my friends and family for my love of video games. However, something changed over time. Newer games, while updated with better graphics and more varied gameplay, still followed basic gaming concepts from the older days, and so much of the challenge was gone. Each new game that I would buy or borrow was less satisfying than the last, until I would play a game simply to keep from feeling miserable. As soon as I had achieved whatever goal the game had, that lonely feeling would return immediately, and so I would find another game just to stave it off a little bit more. I also had few interests outside of video games. No sports, no instruments, and few friends. I was the guy who would ace every test he was handed in school, but only get a B or C because he never did the homework. This actually led to me getting a 24% in my Freshman English class in high school for the last semester! I'm sure you can figure out why.
Recently, the Lord has come back into my life in a big way. Video games stood in opposition to this, as they used up energy that could be poured into studying and witnessing. So I'm here to say today that the Lord has done for me what only he can do: free me. I've de-installed every game on my computer that I would play and plan to sell off my collection. All the new batch of systems are out, but I have no plans to buy a single one. He has filled my life with other, more worthwhile things: a girlfriend who I adore, new interests, a purpose in life, and most importantly Jesus.
Don't get me wrong; it's perfectly possible to play games without falling into addiction like I did. There are also benefits, such as improved reflexes and hand-eye coordination. There are good reasons not to play, however.
1.) Money. I would not be surprised if I spent over $10,000 on games, systems, arcades, and internet cafes over the years. There are a lot of things that that cash could have gone towards.
2.) Opportunity Cost. The cost of not doing something else. If I had to guess how much time I spent playing games over the years, a conservative estimate would be over 4 years worth of time spent playing. Years. That's a lot of time to spend doing what pretty much amounts to nothing.
3.) Bad Emotions. Anyone who watches a Counterstrike or Halo match will know this one. The competitiveness fosters some horrible feelings for people simply because they were better/worse at something than you were.
4.) Separation from God.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Again, it's perfectly possible to play responsibly. Just know what you are getting into.
I've been playing them ever since I was 3, when my dad picked up a NES with Super Mario Bros. and started stomping on Goombas. I wasn't drawn to them at first, but over time I began to play myself. That Christmas, my dad got me Super Mario Bros. 2, and from then on it was over. I did other things, but I enjoyed my time in front of the NES the most. This grew until I was known by both friends and family for my fondness of games.
Lots of things appealed to me. I wasn't a very physically talented kid, so playing something that I was good at was good for my self-esteem. You didn't need to have anyone else around to enjoy playing. They were (at the time) mentally challenging. And once you got bored of playing a game, you just pick up another one, and all of the rules, setting, and experience changed to where it was fun again. This allowed me to sit in front of a TV or computer for hours and hours, which I gladly did.
This addiction went on well into adulthood. As before, I was known among my friends and family for my love of video games. However, something changed over time. Newer games, while updated with better graphics and more varied gameplay, still followed basic gaming concepts from the older days, and so much of the challenge was gone. Each new game that I would buy or borrow was less satisfying than the last, until I would play a game simply to keep from feeling miserable. As soon as I had achieved whatever goal the game had, that lonely feeling would return immediately, and so I would find another game just to stave it off a little bit more. I also had few interests outside of video games. No sports, no instruments, and few friends. I was the guy who would ace every test he was handed in school, but only get a B or C because he never did the homework. This actually led to me getting a 24% in my Freshman English class in high school for the last semester! I'm sure you can figure out why.
Recently, the Lord has come back into my life in a big way. Video games stood in opposition to this, as they used up energy that could be poured into studying and witnessing. So I'm here to say today that the Lord has done for me what only he can do: free me. I've de-installed every game on my computer that I would play and plan to sell off my collection. All the new batch of systems are out, but I have no plans to buy a single one. He has filled my life with other, more worthwhile things: a girlfriend who I adore, new interests, a purpose in life, and most importantly Jesus.
Don't get me wrong; it's perfectly possible to play games without falling into addiction like I did. There are also benefits, such as improved reflexes and hand-eye coordination. There are good reasons not to play, however.
1.) Money. I would not be surprised if I spent over $10,000 on games, systems, arcades, and internet cafes over the years. There are a lot of things that that cash could have gone towards.
2.) Opportunity Cost. The cost of not doing something else. If I had to guess how much time I spent playing games over the years, a conservative estimate would be over 4 years worth of time spent playing. Years. That's a lot of time to spend doing what pretty much amounts to nothing.
3.) Bad Emotions. Anyone who watches a Counterstrike or Halo match will know this one. The competitiveness fosters some horrible feelings for people simply because they were better/worse at something than you were.
4.) Separation from God.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Again, it's perfectly possible to play responsibly. Just know what you are getting into.
