I want to play games like I used to but always feel guilty. Specifically animal crossing where i like to fish and just have fun but I always think it's wrong. I don't want to sin but I don't want to live a life where I do nothing at all. What do you guys think?
I think many Christians feel this way. I think the culprit is boredom?
I personally don't play games unless those games are with family and not competitive. That would be part of the fellowship aspect of the Sabbath. We might play Bible Trivia Games or something.
Sometimes I get antsy listening to sermons and might play with something near me. I'm getting better at focusing but sometimes I think I'm ADHD. Lol. My mother finds if she is coloring, she can concentrate better on a sermon.
Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath,
from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking
thine own words:
If you mentally shut down to play a game or watch something and are not trying to draw near to God or to your brethren this would fall under the category of doing your own pleasure. Everything you do should be for building a relationship with God and with your fellow man. So someone sitting in their room with headphones on listening to secular music doesn't further their relationship with anyone; that should be saved that for a non-Sabbath day.
Edited to Add
Some things I do on Sabbaths if I'm feeling bored is watch documentaries. Some documentaries and lectures have really helped further my understanding of the Bible by seeing the cultural context of a historical area, or by understanding God through nature documentaries. These are a fun go-to for me and I feel I've gained a lot from it because I'm a visually learner rather than a one who reads and remembers.
I tend to talk a lot with the family and we each discuss what we've been studying or current events. My dad is Trekkie and is learning the Vulcan language and on Sabbaths he translates the Bible into Vulcan. (Lol) But it helps because he is going through word by word and understanding the context. So he can enjoy what he's doing (learning Vulcan) while studying God's word.
If I have trouble focusing or reading, Bible Audio is my go to. Both my mom and I will play it in the background if we're tired and go to our rooms and lay down for a bit. I might fall asleep but I argue having the bible audio in the background my brain will still absorb what I'm hearing on some unconscious level.
If I'm antsy I go for a walk around the property. Think, pray, meditate.
What is the best way you learn? What would make learning fun? Not everyone is studious or given to academic studies, so if that's not your strong point find out what your strong point is and incorporate learning into that. My dad and I tend to be more "cerebral" as he says: we study heavy topics and so forth whereas my mom and sister aren't really the academic type, but they're both artsy and creative. That's why my mom can sit and color and listen to Bible audio for hours and not being bored or mentally exhausted.
I have played Candy Crush while listening to sermons. I'm not going to say it's okay or not okay to play Animal Crossing on the Sabbath, but if you're like my mother who needs to be in a trance so to speak, to be able to help concentrate or the mind wanders, then listening to sermons or Bible audio while playing Animal Crossing would be a better option. But if you find you're too concentrated on the game and not on God, then that's a problem.
Keep the Sabbath. Christian growth and overcoming is a lifelong process. Ten years ago when I kept the Sabbath I got bored easily and wanted to watch television, play games etc. but I applied myself and little by little I gave up the things that didn't matter and can now focus better on God and His word. I'm far from perfect and I feel guilty often on days where I accomplish little. But over the years I have set goals for myself, so now I have a lot of things I want to read and look up and study and on days where I'm mentally exhausted, I just listen to sermons and audio.
