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Modern Media—Are They Worth Our While?

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Modern Media—Are They Worth Our While?

6 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

How short is our time on this earth! The Scriptures testify in many places of the brevity of our days, comparing them to a handbreadth or a shadow. James writes, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). It is often not until we come upon our deathbed that we have an impression of this brevity. Time then lies behind us, and before us is a never-ending eternity. In comparison with eternity, time then appears in its reality, namely, as a vapor, which soon vanisheth away.

Seeing this is the case with time, how precious it then reveals itself to be. Often upon a dying bed there is a wish for just a little more time, whether an hour, a day, or another year in this life. The value of riches, worldly goods, esteem, and pleasures then vanishes in comparison to the value of time. I have heard a woman complain upon her death bed, as she looked back over her whole life, that she had spent so much of her time straightening up her house. “And now,” she said, “I have to die, and I am unprepared.”

When it becomes our turn to die, and we look over our life which lies behind us, what will be our complaint? How will we have used our time? How is it today, if we look back in our life? If we would keep a record of the use of our time, would we be ashamed to reveal it? Paul warned the Ephesians to “redeem the time, because the days are evil.” Years ago, people did not have the conveniences we have today, namely, automobiles, washing machines, dishwashers, etc. All these are supposed to be timesavers. But why do we seem to have less time than our ancestors to read the Scriptures and other books? Is it not because our hearts have no desire, and we therefore fill our time with other things? This is a serious matter, worthy of our constant consideration. If we waste or lose our riches, they can be gotten again. Thus it is with many things, but not with time. Every moment of time we waste or lose can never be recovered again.

This most important matter ought to be considered with respect to many different aspects of our daily life, including our use of modern media. There is a positive side to many of these conveniences, namely, that they are time-savers. Word and data processing are accomplished today much more quickly than ever before. There is no doubt that the Internet is also a very useful timesaver when you consider that it enables us to order goods, retrieve information, or send e-mail messages very quickly.

On the other hand, however, we may well ask ourselves whether we now have more time to spend meditating on the Word of God since all these conveniences have been introduced. With what do we fill our saved time? We may also well ask ourselves if these very time-saving devices themselves have not become time-wasting devices instead. How many of our youth sit down behind computers to play computer games? Aside from the fact that these appear often in arcade style, they are also many times very addicting, and many hours are wasted in activities which have no value. In this way our children are distracted from healthy reading activities or even playing and interacting with siblings or friends.

We have been focusing much in our articles on the Internet. Must we not say that with respect to the recent growth of this modern medium, Satan has succeeded in engrossing the attention of millions of people for many hours on end in frivolous and meaningless activity? Into how many very interesting things does not our human nature seek to delve, all of which are now available for our research with the touch of a few keys, yet the knowledge of which is only a distraction from the one thing needful! How unwittingly is it possible to become a slave of the information age, consumed with the prospect of increasing in the “wisdom of this world”! How many hours are heedlessly devoured poring over page after page regarding that which has little value to our natural life and no value for our soul! With what, besides the television, has Satan been so successful in distracting mankind in order that he may heedlessly squander away his most precious time on this earth, which “as an ever rolling stream, bears all its sons away”? With how many things does he not seek to occupy the mind, yes, even with otherwise lawful things, in order that man might not seek after God?

In this same way, must we not also mention the newspaper and magazines which may be in our households? Do we not do well to consider how much of our valuable time dwindles away as we thoughtlessly preoccupy ourselves with every unnecessary detail of the news of the day?

In how many of our homes are there video machines, by which many of the children and young people of our congregations give their undivided attention to movies about which parents know nothing? Other films are “permitted,” being considered harmless, but do we consider the hours lost with such entertainments, which can never be regained, in addition to the lifestyle to which we accustom our children?

How much time do we waste talking on the telephone? None would argue the great advantages of this invention. Yet, are not cautions in order? With unlimited calling plans becoming the norm, we become less and less hesitant to pick up the telephone and more and more unmindful of the time spent in idle conversation. With cell phones in hand, we go about our more mundane tasks, which used to give us time for consideration and meditation. Thus every moment, from rising in the morning until retiring at night, we are occupied with our business. Even the holy Sabbath day, which the Lord has set aside for His service and in which we may be separated from the business of the world, becomes more and more like every other day by the ringing of the telephone.

Friends, let us ask ourselves this question about modern media, Are they worth our while? May the Lord give us all an impression of the preciousness of the little while we have here below. Modern media and technologies have to a certain extent become part of our lives. Are they, however, taking up our time, or are they freeing up our time? Are they tools for us, or are we slaves to them? Will they prove in our end to have been a blessing or a judgment? The Lord says, “Behold”—take notice, pay attention—“now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.” Let us then take heed to ourselves and our children concerning the use of our fleeting and precious time, “ere we go hence and be no more” on this earth, but enter into our long, yea, our eternal home, where there shall be “time no longer.”

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Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 juni 2004

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's

Modern Media—Are They Worth Our While?

Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 juni 2004

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's