stumbling blocks in my life

[Jabre]

video games and other media from the world has always been a stumbling block in my Christian life. i hear how amazing a game or show supposedly is, and i get hooked on it and become obsessed, idolizing it and making it far more important in my life than God. When i find a game or anything else i like, its like a drug that warps me to wanting more and more, i can't live without it. once i inevitably grow tired of it, and find no more happiness or fulfillment in it, i stumble upon something else, the new drug for my flesh, and the cycle continues. how do i break out of this? how do i find the Lord, who gives true spiritual joy, when my flesh always has something it refuses to let go of?

 

[Lambano]

Jabre, I commend you for recognizing the evil in the video game industry and wanting to quit. And your asking for prayer in the Prayer forum was good start. I added my own prayers to yours. But as for the practical aspects of letting it go, I'll have to defer to brothers and sisters with more experience and more wisdom than I.

 

[quietthinker]

video games and other media from the world has always been a stumbling block in my Christian life. i hear how amazing a game or show supposedly is, and i get hooked on it and become obsessed, idolizing it and making it far more important in my life than God. When i find a game or anything else i like, its like a drug that warps me to wanting more and more, i can't live without it. once i inevitably grow tired of it, and find no more happiness or fulfillment in it, i stumble upon something else, the new drug for my flesh, and the cycle continues. how do i break out of this? how do i find the Lord, who gives true spiritual joy, when my flesh always has something it refuses to let go of?

We overcome by taking fast hold of that immovable rock Jesus. Holding it with a loose rein makes us a plaything of the evil one.
Holding fast is like breathing....every breath you take delivers oxygen.....slacken off and you wilt.
Cry for help when the thought to capitulate surfaces....before you start toying with the oppression.

 

[Wynona]

video games and other media from the world has always been a stumbling block in my Christian life. i hear how amazing a game or show supposedly is, and i get hooked on it and become obsessed, idolizing it and making it far more important in my life than God. When i find a game or anything else i like, its like a drug that warps me to wanting more and more, i can't live without it. once i inevitably grow tired of it, and find no more happiness or fulfillment in it, i stumble upon something else, the new drug for my flesh, and the cycle continues. how do i break out of this? how do i find the Lord, who gives true spiritual joy, when my flesh always has something it refuses to let go of?

One practical thing you can do is to have your God time be the first priority of your day.

Before you look at your phone or do anything else, read the Bible, go to God in prayer and listen for His voice.

I started doing this and at first, it was just a little bit of time. But now, I want God all the time.

 

[DuckieLady]

One practical thing you can do is to have your God time be the first priority of your day.

Before you look at your phone or do anything else, read the Bible, go to God in prayer and listen for His voice.

I started doing this and at first, it was just a little bit of time. But now, I want God all the time.

This is good advice. Reminds me of a hymn "None of Self and All of Thee."

None of Self and All of Thee > Lyrics | Theodore Monod

It starts

Oh, the bitter pain and sorrow
That a time could ever be,
When I proudly said to Jesus,
“All of self, and none of Thee.”

The start of the relationship begins with human pride and internal selfishness, until relationship progresses, and as a result the love relationship with Christ blooms into a desire for selflessness and instead being fulfilled by Him.

Higher than the highest heaven,
Deeper than the deepest sea,
Lord, Thy love at last has conquered:
“None of self, and all of Thee.”

In other words, @Jabre , @Wynona is right here and the more you seek Him, the more you will find Him,and the more you find Him, the more you will love Him!

 

[Lambano]

video games and other media from the world has always been a stumbling block in my Christian life. i hear how amazing a game or show supposedly is, and i get hooked on it and become obsessed, idolizing it and making it far more important in my life than God. When i find a game or anything else i like, its like a drug that warps me to wanting more and more, i can't live without it. once i inevitably grow tired of it, and find no more happiness or fulfillment in it, i stumble upon something else, the new drug for my flesh, and the cycle continues. how do i break out of this? how do i find the Lord, who gives true spiritual joy, when my flesh always has something it refuses to let go of?

I did a quick Google search. Video game addiction is recognized as a problem, and there are resources that can help with the mechanics of breaking the addiction, including help lines where you can talk with counselors. Be aware that most of these are secular sites and many have the goal of getting the person into a paid treatment program, which may not be what you need. The obvious things you can do are to stay out of situations where you would habitually turn to video games (which may be difficult if your normal work or studies require constantly being on the computer), and to get out and get plenty of exercise. As for filling the void that you're currently filling with games... Listen to your brothers and sisters.

 

[FHII]

Hello Jabre,

I was once addicted to video games. Madden was my choice, followed by any quest style games. Eventually I got tired madden... Going undefeated every year and winning the Superbowl by a score of 73-0 no longer was interesting. As for the quest games, I lost interest in that too. It took 10 years, but they all seemed the same, and it wasn't a challenge. I knew I would win given enough time and googling tutorials.

There are other things to focus on. One for me was athletics. Its exercise and competition (my gig there is triathlons). You basically are a real character in your game.

There is also of course, the Bible, which has many challenges to engage in. I became engrossed in how much I could learn.

One game I used to play was the Sims. It was a game of ordinary people doing everyday stuff... Sleeping, eating, going to the bathroom, going to work, chasing after girls... Etc. So strange that a game that simulates real life is more interesting than real life! With that... I started treating my life like the sims game. In other words, i focused on my real life.

Overall, I focused on my fitness, my career, my marriage, my walk with God and peppered it with a few other hobbies like biographies/history, the stock market and cooking.

This is what worked for me. I am not saying you should do the same, but try the pattern. Find better, enriching things to take the place of games.

If whatever you find doesn't overpower the desire to play games, don't give up on it; cultivate it further. Allow it to grow.

But let me give you a challenge: Can you list (from memory)
1. All 12 Tribes of Israel
2. All 12 Apostles
3. Every book of the OT
4. Of the NT

I am not trying to shame you... But if you like games and challenges, take this one. Learning stuff like this helped me. Maybe it'll help you. Think of it as levelling up like a video game character does.