I have grown up playing video games for most of my life. Especially the original Super Mario Bros. games. When I was a kid, I loved playing them so much, I actually wondered what it would be like to be in the same world as Mario.
The world of video games has not been looked at favorably over the years. It has been accused of being addictive, unproductive, a time waster, and even the influence toward violent acts. I am not going to defend video games, because video games don’t really need to be defended.
With the emergence of e-sports, these mega large training facilities, and arenas being sold out to watch teams compete, It is predicted that by the Year 2025, the video games industry will generate more than 260 billion dollars a year…That is huge
The world is changing its entertainment habits. So it does not matter what anyone thinks or feels about video games, it’s not going anywhere… and it’s here to stay.
I consider some games almost like interactive movies (A very long version of it). There is a story, and you interact with that story by controlling the character. But all movies have an ending. Which brings up the danger of some video games where there is no ending. Because then you are basically replacing your real life for a virtual one.
I personally have never been addicted to video games. The closest I came was with one game where I sunk in about 500 hours. That was the most I ever dedicated to a game. Now that may seem like a lot, but it is pretty small compared to some who have played 10 – 25,000 hours. That results in about 1-3 years of life committed to a video game. Thankfully I was able to walk away from my 500 hour game I played. But the addictions are real. Having said that, this really should not surprise us as we can be addicted to almost any form of entertainment or hobby.
That leads to a very good problem with video games; They have become too good. It is incredible how far they have come. They demand too much of our time. Many are starting to demand at least 100 hours of playtime.As much as I enjoy video games, and I always will to a certain extent, I simply have no time to sink in that amount on one game let alone many. So I am extremely picky with what games I purchase and I mainly pick games that only take 20-40 hours to complete.
But what role do Christians have in the world of video games? Is it an opportunity to reach people, or is it too much of a stumbling block? Of Games And God, by Kevin Schut attempts to address these questions. One one hand, I am talking about this book nearly 10 years since its 2013 release, and with how fast the world of video games travels, 10 years already makes this book feel outdated. It’s an ever evolving industry. Today, the industry is growing in the realm of Esports and virtual gaming. Kevin does acknowledge this problem with his book, but there are still some principles that are not outdated. He gives very insightful thoughts, and despite his bias towards video games, he humbly admits the challenges video games do create for the Christian community. But do video games create too much of a stumbling block? The short answer is no if done with healthy boundaries.Are video games an opportunity to reach people? Possibly. I have seen Christians livestream their gaming sessions while talking about their faith. Whether it works effectively remains to be seen. There are not many Christian gamers doing it, so it could be a huge mission field, but right now there is not enough data to suggest this.
As for my thoughts, there are a few scriptures that come to my mind in Matthew Chapter 6. In verse 21 it says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The context of this verse is that we are not to store up earthly treasures that can never be eternal, but rather pursue treasures that are in fact eternal. For me, I had this constant urge to store up plenty of video games, many that sat there and were never played. My treasure was always about the desire to achieve and accomplish challenges in the video games I played. Of course I was proud of my accomplishments, But I never felt these were treasures I could keep. The only place I could store them long term was in my heart. But the moment I did that, it showed that my heart was committed to the wrong treasure. And that treasure was still not eternal.
The other scripture is in verse 24 which says, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” While money was referenced, it is clear money is not the only master. Anything that we solely devote our lives to that has control can be a master. The game that I sunk 500 hours in would be an example of me devoting myself to a master in which it had some amount of control over me. Many times I could not walk away from it.
I would say Of Games And God is best suited for Christian parents who have an ever increasing challenge of raising their kids who enjoy video games, but are worried about the effect it may have on their relationship with Jesus. What makes this book special is that Kevin is one of the few if not only Christian authors that has addressed this topic. Unfortunately with so many unaddressed topics, this book only scratches the surface. Despite Kevin’s wealth of research and information, readers will likely walk away with more questions unanswered.
But the overall message Kevin Schutt is trying to share is that Christians do not need to flat out reject video games, but rather embrace a balanced approach. This is a stance I too share. I am still going to continue to play video games. It is one of my hobbies that I enjoy. But now I dictate the terms of which games and how much I play them. I will be the master of this hobby rather than it being the master of me. The reason I choose this stance is because even though I could sink thousands of hours into video games and enjoy it, I will never get those hours back that could have been used for the relationships I do have in my life. And for Christians, their most important relationship is with Jesus. Video games will always be around, but the people closest in my life will not always be. The one currency we can never get back in time. So Christians, use your time wisely.
