The Jaffrey Family Simplifying and Minimizing Project: Part 3 - Entertainment and Time Managment

     
     

If you didn't get a chance to read about how we are taking stride with our finances you can read about it here: Simplifying and Minimizing Part 2

        Hi Everyone,
           So this next step Alex and I have been praying over and working through has been how we invest our time, energy and where we place our values. Entertainment has been a huge focus of that. We both have realized, simply by looking at our budget how easy it is to spend not just our money but also our time and thoughts on mindless, fun, entertainment. The greatest thing we have had to come to terms with is that though there may be nothing wrong with entertainment in itself, it has a deep grip on our hearts; distracting us, consuming us, and stealing our passion and focus away from God.

It is so easy to allow 'things' to become idols in our lives. Movies, books, and games are fun, relaxing and at times even stress relieving. While this is not evil or bad, we allow it to become more than a movie every once in a while. Suddenly there seems to be a need to constantly be entertained. Games and movies are coveted and so easy to sit in front of when we have some down time. In the past we have spent money on games and movies and other sources of entertainment even when we didn't really have the allowance for it. It had our hearts and minds wrapped around its finger. This is when we realized how deceptive and toxic entertainment can be for the Christian heart and mind-particularly for us.

American life promotes spending money and time and thoughts on entertainment. Sometimes it almost seems like people live and work to entertain themselves. As disciples of Christ, I know that is not the focus that God wants us to have in our lives. Turning on the TV shouldn't be our first thought when we have a moment of quiet, nor should vegging out on the couch with a game after work be our instinctual response. Our lives as believers should be an example of passionate pursuit after Christ, the Holy Spirit leading us and helping us, a hungry and ever deepening desire to worship and bring His light to the lost world.

We've had to ask ourselves honestly:

1. What do we find ourselves thinking about throughout the day?
2. What do I look forward to doing when I have down time?
3. What am I investing in via time and finances the most, outside of work?
4.  When I am praying or studying the word do I find myself distracted by other thoughts? What are they?
5. What do I find most satisfying in my day to day life?

I know for myself personally, but also for Alex that we were a little taken aback by the reality of our answers to these questions. For myself, I put a lot of time and thought into Facebook, Pinterest, certain TV shows, and decorating. I look forward to relaxing with my husband on the couch at the end of the day with our TV show or a movie. I find myself thinking about my daughter, husband, dreams and mindlessly surfing through Facebook or Pinterest. I do love spending time with the Lord and in my bible but often times when I sit down to spend some quiet time with the Lord I am so tired, weary, and disoriented that I couldn't understand what I was reading and I wasn't connecting with Him on any level. He wasn't my first thought, and often days and weeks would go by without opening my bible once and not more than a few words of prayer here and there. My passion for the Lord was entirely lacking. My focus was not on Him. There was too much else going on in my day to day life to make Him my first and foremost thought.

After talking with Alex I've started taking steps to simplify my life. I have taken Facebook off my phone and as soon as our contract is up, we are getting rid of our smart phones and down grading to a simple text and talk phone to cut out the distractions of games and social media at the touch of the screen. Alex and I are going to be combining our Facebook profiles into one family one so that we can still keep in touch with our out of state friends and family, while controlling the time we spend on it. I only get on Pinterest after I have spent time with the Lord and my family. Alex and I are also getting rid of Netflix and we are not starting a new TV show series, we will be controlling about much we watch movies too.

Alex has had like struggles, with TV and gaming in particular. So together we are asking and praying that God would help simplify our thoughts and focus in our daily life.



Our lives could be so simple. Work, eat, sleep, and serve the Lord with all our hearts. Lately its been more like: Work, eat, watch TV, change diapers, play games, check Facebook for the 10th time, and then sleep a little. God is showing us how desperately we need to refocus.

I love the following passages because they speak so clearly of the simplicity of a life serving the Lord and the effect that has on the people around them.

"Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." -Acts 2:44-47

"Now the multitude of  those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common...Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need?" Acts 4:32,34-35

These passages predominately show the act of giving their own possessions for the church and instead living simply praising God. We want to has that same gladness and simplicity of heart. If things are going to take away from the relationship we can have with the Lord than I don't want any part of it!



What are areas in your life that you feel like you may want to refocus and simplify?

Our next step is to simply the way we eat and how we think about food and health. Keep an eye out for my next post!


Love,
Leah