The Black Hole
I have an addiction. It may not be one that you may typically think of when you hear that word, but it is true nonetheless. The following scenario is one that I experience way too often:
I get done with class early and flop down on my bed to rest for a few minutes before starting to study. I glance over at my computer or my phone and tell myself I will only watch one video or one episode of a TV show…as a little break from thinking about school. Before I realize what is happening, I get sucked into the black hole of the Internet, hypnotized by the screen. The videos become less and less entertaining, yet I cannot tear my eyes away. It is like my hand has a mind of its own as it clicks each related link. I feel the need to get out of this unproductive pit, but my willpower has been drained and I am trapped. Five hours later, I wonder how I ended up with a throbbing headache and nothing to show for my wasted time. I berate myself and swear off YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, and whatever else I had been on, promising to be productive the next day; yet, I end up in the same place time and time again. Perhaps you have gone through similar experiences, even if your struggle is with some other substance or (in)activity.
You may wonder, what is wrong with indulging a little in my spare time? It does not necessarily hurt anyone, and it is not like Jesus specifically says not to waste time on the Internet (or play videogames or eat junk food, etc.) However, let’s look at the heart of the issue. This habit we have of losing control of ourselves in front of our personal addictions is not just harmful for our academic lives, but affects us in every aspect of life: physical, emotional, and spiritual.
How it harms us physically is pretty obvious. Sitting for hours on end is never good for your physical health, even if you are sitting to do something productive. I have found that when I spend more time in my day being sedentary, I get sick more often and feel lethargic and depressed.
Getting depressed is not the only way our indulgences affect us emotionally. I do not know if you have ever noticed this before, but after spending hours on the computer or even reading books, I can feel an increase in my irritability. Even if a minute ago I was cracking up at something funny I saw or read, the smallest thing someone does to annoy me seems impossible to ignore. Getting asked to do a chore of some sort is loathsome and I look for every excuse not to do it, even though I clearly have the time. I am not sure if this is something that only happens to me, but I really have to try harder not to lose my patience with people after I have been doing nothing for several hours. Just based on these detrimental physical and emotional effects of over-indulging yourself in your favorite activity, you should recognize the need for greater self-discipline; however, what matters most is how it affects us spiritually.
Everything we do in life is goal-driven, whether the goals are short-term (getting to a meeting on time) or long-term (becoming the head of a company). If we exercise, it is to be healthy and/or look good. If we study, it is to do well in school and eventually get a good job. If we do something nice, it is for people to like us. I am oversimplifying why we do what we do, but you get the idea. In terms of our spiritual lives, sometimes we do not think of our faith as a goal-driven activity. However, we should have a clear picture of our goal, for ourselves as Christians. It is only if you picture this end-result that you can have the motivation to keep moving forward in your faith. 1 Corinthians 9:23-25 says, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
We are key players in a battle of the universe, a war greater than any human war that has ever happened on Earth, a fight for the salvation of human beings. As Christians, we have enlisted in the army of God to work our hardest to save souls alongside God and His angels. Do soldiers in the battlefield waste hours of time sitting down to mindlessly watch videos? Likewise, we need to wake up and realize the truth of our situation. We have very little time on Earth, and we should spend every minute with careful purpose. Let us work together to defeat Satan’s trap of laziness and self-indulgence, knowing that the King of the Universe is always ready to help us achieve our goals.
Jamie Kim is a graduate of Andrews University and currently a first year dental student at Loma Linda University.