This morning I was sitting down with Jesus to do some face to face time and all of the sudden, out of nowhere, God was getting up in my grill.
“You know that TV is taking over your life.”
Um. Back off and leave my TV alone. That TV has helped me write two books in the past three months.
You see with two big deadlines, I needed a way to break those huge writing job down into doable chunks. So I would write a thousand words, and then watch an episode of 30 Rock (God bless Netflix instant streaming and Hulu Plus…) TV made it possible to get through those huge projects that, at the time, felt totally overwhelming. (So if my new Organizing book has a distinctly Tina Fey edge, well, you’re welcome.)
While I totally recommend doing what you have to do to get the job done, even after the books are now turned in to their respective publishers, I have continued to let the TV plan my days.
I’m not giving up TV, (Roger and I have recently discovered Hell’s Kitchen and he, Kimberly and I are getting a load of fun out of watching it,) but I am going to stop the mindless, “let’s just see if there’s anything I want to watch” watching. i have some big and exciting things coming up in my life, and I want to be fully present for every experience that God has for me. I want to connect with the people in my life and stop using TV (and food) as my reward. I want to find my strength to complete a project based on the promises of God’s work and not the promise of a new episode of The Middle.
Have you ever felt like God was calling you to give up something (or really, really cut back.) Curious as to how you went about it.
Kathi,
I think people waste their lives on the front of TV. Our household has been TV free zone over 6 years now and could not be happier. Blessings to you as you cut back your TV watching. I think that might be much harder than not having TV at all!
I haven’t made any New Year’s resolutions for years, (except the one to not make any resolutions) but I made one on New Year’s eve, 2010. The Lord had been convicting me about the amount of time I’ve spent watching Law & Order SVU. I found the stories had left images in my mind of the crimes that had been commited; horrible, awful images. The Lord showed me that I had become immune to the horribleness of these acts that were so dishonoring to Him. “Seek first the kingdom of God…”
Deciding to seek Him first allowed me to do it.
Have to say it would be food – but I havent managed very well 🙁 Food is good and everywhere, plus, I enjoy entertaining and cooking……..
BUT,
the tv is not a big deal as haven’t had cable, dish (see food again), satellite, or anything else to transmit tv stations in four years and we love it! Spend lots of time on the computer tho, so I guess it’s a trade off -I don’t know.
Giving up something we enjoy can be difficult at first but going for a walk or just keep moving when wanting a cookie (or another etc. cookie) helps to overcome those temptations.
XOXO
BJC~
For Lent God called me to give up praying about a job, money, or anything even remotely close to the two.
At first,it sounded like a crazy idea, not to mention impossible, to stop praying about something so
important for 40 days. During this time, God helped me to realize how much of my prayer time these items
were taking up. I started spending more time praising and just enjoying His presence! Duh, this is what He
wants at all times. He said in Matthew 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well.” Praise the Lord for His patience with me!
Food is my issue. And i’m not overweight. Because, i suppose, i’ve been in binge- fast mode.
But things are different now. As the recovering alcoholic / drug addict must stay completely abstinent & look not to the left or right, so consecrate I each day my menu to the Lord.
i wonder if anyone will ever believe me that for me severely restricting my food intake (and eating ONLY fruit, veg, small percentage of whole grains, cold-pressed oil, tofu, few beans, fish) and sacrificing all else is the best way to go? As it is written, ‘We must deny ourselves everything that keeps us from doing our best.’
I eat only what is absolutely necessary (& this is far less than we like to think). My mother thinks I’m an O C. Nay, I cry, I’m a mystic!
This is my cross. But what blessed benefits! I am slimmer than i’ve ever dreamed, never get sick, wake up at 4.00 a.m. & have more hours in my day.
My spiritual life has taken wings.
Right now (as I have a momentary freak-out regarding public speaking), I’m praying that God has called me to give up speaking. But I have a feeling that’s not going to happen.
I’ve had periods in life where FB and reading blogs did the same thing for me. When I feel it is becoming too much, I usually try to go on a 7 day technology fast. Over lunch today my husband and I were just discussing my plan for the next tech fast, probably the 2nd week after convention, which coincides with our first week of pursuing real home schooling with our 4 year old.
It because alarmingly clear to me, that I was wasting my life in front of the TV. My husband and I committed to a 90 day “No TV” challenge- RIGHT in the middle of last seasons Idol. We’re completely “TV Free” although I can watch the Colbert Report online if I want to- which I rarely do anymore.
It’s been a life-changer for us. The upside is that we talk more in the evening while listening to music on Pandora, or go for a walk instead of zoning out to a TV show. Also a plus is the fact that we sleep better and are generally more at peace. I don’t miss the news at all, and can catch up on headlines online. Yes, I can live without hearing the terrible in-depth details of the latest murder- imagine that.
On the minus side, I have been reading about 5 books a week and have developed eye-strain. Seems that the TV is easy on the eyes…. We’ve decided to end our challenge sometime before the snow comes, for the sake of our mental health during the long Maine winters.
Keep us posted, Kathi!