One of my favorite video games of all time is Oblivion. I hadn’t played much of The Elder Scrolls series before the fourth entry, but I definitely got my money’s worth out of Oblivion. Skyrim is a great game and made a lot of advances, but I prefer the story in Oblivion. What’s more heroic than closing the gates of hell?
When I say that Oblivion is one of my favorite games ever I really mean it. I put in the hours necessary to back up that claim. I started and stopped a few times, but by the time I sent Dagon back to Oblivion I had poured over 200 hours into the game.
I don’t know if I’ve ever been as committed to a game as I was to Oblivion. But if we say that we care about something, then there should be some expression of our commitment.
I say that I care about Jesus, but percentage-wise I may have been more committed to Oblivion than I ever have been to Jesus. Over 35 years I’ve committed way more time to Jesus, but in the two years I was really playing Oblivion, I may have spent more time with it than my Lord and Savior.
Earlier this week my podcast co-host, Ron, told me about a conversation he had at his youth group. He asked the students how they showed their commitment to Jesus. They gave some solid church answers like praying and reading the Bible, but admitted they didn’t participate in those activities as much as they should. And, honestly, we could all probably make the same admission at some point or another.
Obviously a commitment to Jesus is more than praying and reading the Bible. We can’t boil down our commitment to two spiritual practices. There’s much more nuance, beauty and vibrance to following Jesus. However, there’s a reason praying and reading the Bible are two of the best church answers ever; they’re two of the most effective and foundational spiritual practices.
I love helping students find different ways of connecting with God. Telling a young person that they can connect with God by going on a hike, writing their thoughts or listening to a song is one of my greatest joys. Our God is infinite so there are nearly as many ways to connect with him. There are many different experiences that can connect us with God, but we can never forget or abandon praying and reading the Bible.
Jesus prayed and Jesus knew the scriptures; we clearly see that in the gospels. He also sang songs and went on walks, but we regularly see him praying and quoting scripture. Those disciplines were foundational for Jesus and they should be foundational for us.
Praying and reading the Bible show our commitment to Jesus because they don’t just happen for most people. We may just happen to listen to a worship song or enjoy a nice walk in the cool of the evening. But setting aside time to read the Bible and pray to God takes intention and effort; those habits take a commitment. So if we say that we love Jesus, then we should probably practice disciplines that show our commitment to him.
I was committed to Oblivion for the better part of two years. I would stay up late just to complete another mission or clear out another dungeon. I don’t think I need to stay up until 2:00 in the morning to spend time with Jesus. But I probably shouldn’t stay up until 2:00 in the morning and jeopardize the time I have set aside to pray and read the Bible.
How do you show your commitment to Jesus?
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