By Barb Winters

To keep up with my teenagers (I‘m really spying on them), I joined facebook. I promptly found the games. Even if you aren't on facebook, you've probably heard of the never-ending search for fences, homes, cows, and mafia paraphernalia. I chose my virtual world game and began my quest. I started with an apartment and went to work. I earned money and bought cool clothes. I earned more money and furnished my apartment. I worked some more, bought food, and upgraded my kitchen. I gravitated to the computer at least twice a day to send my avatar (the "mini-me" on the computer screen) to her job. A month later, my virtual apartment was decked out, and my avatar was well-dressed. I contemplated my next step.

In real life, I am not a shopper. I don't accumulate things. When we moved into our last house, we spent three months fixing it up. Then, I left it. It was fine, and I was good. So, that was my attitude when my avatar's apartment was "finished." It looks good. Now what? Mentally, I followed the "game" to its logical conclusion. The objective is to work more to accrue more money to buy more stuff. Period.

I paused. Wow. How much time had I spent on this? And to what end? Was I really getting anywhere? No. There is no "end" to this game. Besides that, there is no redeeming value in it. I can't build a "virtual" church or give to a "virtual" cause. I decided to take a break from my virtual game and never felt the urge to go back.

A friend posed a question via facebook. What do we spend our minutes, hours, and days doing? And is it of eternal value? I looked around our home and wondered the same thing. It has been invaded by electronic devices. Cable is a new addition. So is the wii, along with my laptop (which makes three computers). And, my teenage son's phone has become an extension of his arm. But I can't point too many fingers. I am the worst. Before I heard God prodding me, I plowed through my day with one goal in mind: to watch tv and "play" on the computer. And since we parked our computer in the living room, I could accomplish both at the same time. Upon further review, I concluded there were more productive uses of my time.

I diagnosed the problem: wasted time. The solution?

1. First, confession. "Lord, I see where I have allowed these devices to consume my time and take Your place. Please forgive me."
2. Second, recognition. It is God's time, not mine. I asked Him to reveal to me the best use of His time. His first prompting was to read His word more. Lest I appear holier than I actually am, I must say I had drifted away from a "regular" time of Scripture reading. It was sporadic and inconsistent. So I put "read Scripture" back into my schedule and have stuck with it.
3. Third, evaluation. What was I doing all day? Balance was the theme of this assessment. Facebook, in and of itself, is not evil (although I've read a few posts I would question). And, to some degree, if I want to minister to the next generation, being a part of this community is beneficial. But I cross the line if I permit it to take the place of God. If I neglect my husband, children, church, etc. to furnish my virtual apartment, that is a red flag.

So, what does have eternal value? Is it necessary to always be doing something spiritual? For that matter, what constitutes spiritual? Is watching TV occasionally ok? If I take a vacation, do I need to confess it as sin?

God rested on the seventh day. He also said, "on it [the seventh day] you shall not do any work." (Exodus 20:10) Clearly, it is important for us to rest and rejuvenate our bodies - physically, spiritually, and mentally. But how? And for what purpose?

Two Scriptures come to mind. In Colossians, Paul asks God to fill them (and, therefore, us) with spiritual wisdom " . . . in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience . . ." (Col. 1:10-11, italics mine). We take time away from our work and normal routine to be strengthened by God so that we can bear fruit - His fruit. We must allow God to fortify us before we can be productive for Him.

Besides the obvious: prayer, praise songs, Bible reading, church, etc., what revives? The answer is different for each person. Playing a game with my children rejuvenates. It also builds relationships. That is of eternal value. However, there are times when I'm depleted that I can't think or read or interact with anyone. Those are the times when watching a TV program or taking a nap has more value than trying to plod through the day. (No one wants to be around a grumpy mom.)

The second Scripture is Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." As we make decisions on how to fill our "down" time, we should do so in light of this Scripture. In talking with a friend once about my children's activities, she challenged me to not just ask the question, "What's wrong with it?" But to instead ask, "What about it is right?" Let's ask ourselves, "Is what I am doing right now of eternal value?"

Barb and her husband, Don, have four children: Kevin, JT, Kenneth, and Melinda. Barb has been a home schooling mom for eleven years and a pastor's wife for seven. Her passion is ministering to ladies. Her purpose is to glorify God. Email Barb.