In all my time at NYCUP, I’ve barely played any video games. And now I find
myself asking why I even play them in the first place.  The reason is that I
want to feel as if I’m spending my time in a worthwhile manner.  It’s a
desire deep down that we, as humans, want to do something meaningful.  Saving
the princess or stemming the tide of an alien invasion sure feels like a
worthwhile task.  And what’s better, you can do it all from the comfort of
your living room couch.  But when you turn off the system, what have you
accomplished in the real world?  All you’ve really done is send some
electrons through the circuits of your system, and your saved game file now
has a different arrangement of ones and zeroes.  Link may have saved Zelda,
but only in the virtual realm.  Sadly, there are still many young children
in distress, and not many seem to be rushing to liberate them from the
chains of their oppressors.

In reflecting on this, I see that I have so much time that I could be giving
in service to God and to others.  If I can find time to push buttons while
staring at a TV, then I easily have time that I could devote to God instead.
As much fun as video games are, I see how they pull me away from God’s
presence.

Last night, I spent time reflecting on what it means to be generous, not
only with my money, but with my time as well.  I was reminded of the time
when Jesus was at the temple and he pointed out the difference between the
rich man’s offering and the poor widow’s offering (Luke 21:1-4).  Although
the rich man gave more money, he only did so out of his wealth.  Jesus says
that the poor widow “put in more than all the others.”  She gave all she had
to God, and I don’t think Jesus meant solely in terms of money.  Her entire
heart was behind it.  She trusted God to provide for her when she had
nothing.  She put the Kingdom of God ahead of herself.  In doing so, God
received not only her money, but more importantly, a treasure beyond value:
her heart.

So now I must ask myself: Am I giving everything I have to God?  Do I manage
my time in a way that glorifies His name?  Looking back at the previous
school year, I can say that I haven’t been giving Him everything.  Too much
of my time was wasted on video games and other meaningless pursuits.  I
can’t expect to be perfect, but I also can’t expect to feel God’s presence
when I pursue selfish desires.