What’s Wrong with Binge Watching?
It’s a way to unwind. Something to look forward to. A topic for conversation the next day.
With so many shows on TV and so many ways to watch them, it can be easy to camp out in front of the screen for hours on end. Who doesn’t like to be entertained?
There’s nothing wrong with watching TV or following a certain show—although it’s important to be aware of what you’re filling your mind with.
At the same time, binge watching can take priority over more important things like family or friends. It can overshadow something even bigger than that, too: God Himself who offers you a life of abundance (John 10:10).
Are you spending so much time engrossed in a show that you have no time left for Him? Have you even considered that He’s there and wants to spend time with you?
It’s fun to get pulled into a story and guess what happens next, but many shows have little, if any, impact on your life. Spending time with God, on the other hand, can have a profound impact. Talking to Him (praying), reading His words (the Bible), and getting away to a quiet place to be in His presence are all ways to welcome Him into your life.
It may be easier to ignore God and sit down to your favorite series instead, but often, the more time we spend with God, the more we want to spend time with Him because we see the positive influence He can have on us. He’s chock full of wisdom we can apply to everyday life. He brings peace and balance to our lives that no TV show can.
There’s a Proverb that says, “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:6). That means put God first, prioritize Him above all—including those shows.
You may be a fan of a particular character on TV, but with God you can have an actual one-on-one relationship. That’s through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Pause that show and see how you can make God a priority in your life today.
Step 1 – God’s Purpose: Peace and Life
The Bible says:
“We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:1
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
“I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10
Step 2 – The Problem: Our Separation from God
The Bible says:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
The Bible says:
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”
Proverbs 14:12
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
Isaiah 59:2
Step 3 – God’s Bridge: The Cross
The Bible says:
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
1 Timothy 2:5
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
1 Peter 3:18
Step 4 – Our Response: Receive Christ
The Bible says:
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
John 1:12
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9
Here is how you can accept Christ into your life:
- Admit your need. (I am a sinner)
- Be willing to turn from your sins. (Repent)
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave. (Be saved by faith)
- Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive him as Lord and Savior)
"Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that you raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen."
Did you pray this prayer?