I was the victim of a crime this past weekend. It wasn’t a violent crime or a crime worthy of any sort of news or anything, but it was a crime nonetheless.
It all started four days ago. I got home from work in anticipation of the excitement that awaited me–it was time for March Madness! March Madness is one of my most favorite times of the year. Hours upon hours of high level basketball played simultaneously on national networks throughout the country–all at my disposal from the comforts of my own living room! This was going to be great!
I was eager to tune in this past Thursday. I got home, grabbed some food, and reported to the couch for what promised to be a relaxing and entertaining weekend.
Four days later, it hit me…I’d been robbed.
The villain wasn’t anyone too intimidating, but he was sneaky and unassuming. He wore black all around and had an extremely flat face. He stood on one leg and was without doubt a people-pleaser. He would never bother anyone unless you pressed his buttons, and then he’d capture you for hours. You would have never thought this simpleton would be capable of robbery, but I came to the realization last night that this criminal has been “taking me to town” for years now, and it is time for me to put a stop to it.
Who is this criminal? It’s my television, and this past weekend it robbed me of something more precious than gold…
It robbed me of time spent with my brother Tyler, who was in from California for only a brief amount of time. Instead of being intentional about spending time with him, I spent my time on the television–robbed of an opportunity to enjoy his presence.
It robbed me of the opportunity to help my mother, who was busy cooking, cleaning, and tending to chores around the house. Instead of being intentional about helping her, I chose the television–robbed of an opportunity to help someone close to me.
It robbed me of time spent with my Savior, who I’ve been neglecting far too often lately. Instead of being intentional about reading His word, praying, and growing closer to Him, I chose the television–robbed of an opportunity to grow closer to the person He wants me to become.
This isn’t the first time this villain has robbed me. He’s been robbing me on countless occasions for too long now, and it’s time for me to do something about it. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong about occasionally watching a show you like or watching a game you’re really excited about, but I’ve taken it too far. I’ve been wasting too much time watching television and am missing out on opportunities to live a richer life!
There are countless other activities I could be doing that are better than being glued to the TV. I could be spending that time with others and building my relationships with them; I could be reading and expanding my mind; I could be exercising and becoming a healthier person; I could be getting to bed at a reasonable hour and increasing my energy level; I could be doing just about anything else and would be living a richer and more productive life, but instead, I’m just wasting away on the couch!
I realized last night that I hadn’t only lost a ton of time over this past weekend, but that I’d missed out on more fulfilling opportunities that I’ll never be able to get back. I’m afraid that if I keep this up, I’ll slowly end up like this guy…
Breaking this addiction won’t be easy, but I took the first step last night. God convicted me of my laziness and allowed me to recognize this addiction. I’ve since prayed for His strength and power to help me overcome it. Because I don’t want to be that guy…
I don’t want to be that guy that someday gets home and sits around watching TV rather than playing with his kids.
I don’t want to be that guy that someday gets in fights with his wife because he won’t get off the couch to help out around the house.
I don’t want to be that guy that is so busy watching others live their lives that I miss out on living my own!
It won’t be easy, but I’m going to try to set for myself a “TV limit” of only 2 hours per day, which I know may seem like a lot of time for most people, but for me, it would be a step in the right direction. My goal is to hopefully get it down to one hour a day, and then to the point where I don’t even have to set a limit. I just live life without having to worry about wasting these precious moments that I’ll never get back.
What are some other things I could be doing with that time? I could…
-walk my dog -clean the house -read -pray -call a friend -exercise -hang out with my brother
-volunteer -shoot some hoops -learn something new -write -make a new friend -do ANYTHING!
There are obviously an abundance of things I could do that are better for me than watching TV, but overcoming this addiction won’t be easy. Please pray for me as I try to conquer it. For the temptation to go back to the TV (even after my “limit”) will definitely be there, and I’m tired of it “sucking the life” out of me (literally)…
I can’t do this alone and am thankful for your prayers and support! Now it’s time to start living…
-BH
Brady Hammond 