A Godly Man's Life

I was reading a magazine article by a man named Michael Pearl the other day. A distraught mother had written him concerning her sons' obsession with video games. I steeled myself for what I thought was going to be a tirade against games and parents who allow them, etc. I almost moved on to the next article, thinking I knew what he was going to say. Instead, I read his reply and gleaned a nugget of wisdom that I so need to possess. His answer was to gradually wean them from the games, but always by replacing the time they would spend on games with something that was so much more fun they wouldn't feel deprived. No knee jerk reaction. No tirade. Just simply help them find such abundant life elsewhere they wouldn't miss the games. This speaks to me in so many ways right now. 8yo and I were having a conversation today about his video game system, which has been put away for a while, only to be brought out occasionally. This is, naturally, unacceptable to him. And so, with nugget of wisdom in hand, I ventured into the realm of faith with my son. I shared with him my hopes for him that go far beyond the "entertainment now" lifestyle. That God has huge plans for His life, even for today, but that he has to be seeking what they are. That God wants his life to be fun and exciting in ways that video games can't even compare. There were tears and we prayed. So, I'm believing that God will be opening doors. Instilling creativity. Shedding light. Helping us to find that abundant life I know is ours for the taking. Revealing to us the things we cling to, fearfully thinking it's all we have. I can't come up with anything better than what we have on my own. I need the mind of Christ and the heart of God and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. And as I learn to lean on the strength found there, my children will follow suit. 6yo does copy work for school each day. One of the sentences she had to write was "The life of a Godly man is exciting." In faith I claim that to be truth for my children.