Trivial Pursuit?

I’m feeling an odd dissonance from flipping channels between baseball and warfare.  From “it’s just a game” to life and death.  Same TV—just different channels.  It’s all very jarring.

Maybe I’m the problem, and I should just watch one or the other.  Or neither, or nothing:  so much spin and sensationalism in cable news, and such triviality getting all fired up over a game.

But, stepping back, there may be reasons to expose yourself to at least a measure of both the heavy and the light, the serious and the playful.  After all, there’s a time to laugh and a time to weep, a time to dance and a time to mourn (Eccl. 3:4).  God built into our human lives the need for a balance of labor and rest.  We’re not meant to be work-a-holics or to be sloths.

Let me apply this principle to the use of mental energy:  there’s a time to rivet your attention on serious issues (to be sure), but there’s also a time to unwind and relax.  Further, perhaps taking in some recreation (as spectator or participant!) will open doors to listen to a friend in need, or to share your story of faith.  So be open to a refreshing diversion now and then.

But also, make sure the biggest issues on God’s mind hold center stage in your life—in terms of time spent, energy invested, and heart engagement with the Lord and the people around you.  Since God loves this broken world (John 3:16), it’s important for us to know what’s going on, at least in basic terms.  We are better prepared to pray for the advance of the gospel and the spread of Christ’s reign when we’re aware of current events.

So check the news, and go to Scripture:  Remember Matthew 24:14, God has ordained to have his good news pro­claimed among all people groups on earth.  Remember the big picture:  “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).  Let these grand realities fill your mind and heart and prayers!