Why is Netflix more fun than the Bible?
When I was a teenager my whole family would watch T.V. together. There were certain nights of the week, that some of our favorite shows would come on and we all would sit down and had a blast watching the shows. Then one day in high school my dad got something called Netflix. When Netflix started it was not a streaming service, you made a list of the movies you wanted to see and they would mail you the discs (I am not making this up, you can google it). The funniest part is if you wanted to watch a show they would not mail you a whole season. They would mail you 1 disc at a time. Years down the road they put it all online, and the world of binge-watching began.
The Purpose of this article
My goal today is not to tell you that you can not watch Netflix, Hulu, or Disney +. My goal today is for us to see that as Christians we should be in our Bible’s more. In order to do something more, you will have to cut something out or scale back on something. In my own life, I know what could be scaled back for me is my time on Instagram and Netflix. However, this got me thinking, why is watching Netflix or scrolling Instagram more enjoyable than reading my Bible? I have come up with a few reasons why, when I have a minute to spare I would rather watch my favorite show rather than read what God has to say in the Word.
Why we think TV is easier than the Bible
It’s Easy
When I get home from a long day, it is almost an instinct to flip on the T.V. In most of our homes it is at the center of our living room. The room that is titled because we spend a lot of our time living in there. Think about that, the room that supposedly is the center of the house is centered around the television. When you get home it is so easy to just pick up the remote, sit on the couch and just dive into our favorite show. Our lives seem to be set up around our televisions, computers, or phones. What if at the center of my living room was a stack of Bibles? It sounds cheesy, but maybe this is something I should try. I should put out Bibles by my bed, car, living room, and my office. Then, maybe the first thing I will reach for is God’s word rather than watching the same episode of the Office for the 50th time. We prioritize the things we care about, and we make doing the things we enjoy the easiest thing in our day.
It’s Enjoyable
When I have spare time I like finding a new show or movie or watching one I have seen before. I find this relaxing, but more than that, I enjoy it. I like what is happening in the movie or television show. This is the main reason I come back to the television and watch again and again. I feel invested, I want to know what happens next. Even if it is a show I have watched over and over, I still want to see what happens. Why are we not this invested in God’s word? This problem is mostly reciprocal. We don’t want to spend time in the Word because we are not invested in it, and we are not invested in it because we don’t spend time in His word. If we just sit down and look at the awesomeness, that is the word of God, we will be amazed by what we read.
Why is the Bible even Important?
The Bible has value because it is the perfect words of God. As Christians, we should have a desire to know our God who created us, saved us, and lives in us. The Bible was given to us by God so we could know him. If you had a friend who was leaving on a trip for a year but they promised to send you DM’s, texts, or even letters, you would be excited about these. The reason why is because you care about your friend and want to know them more, and hear about their experiences. In the same way, God has given us 66 books of information, and insight on who God is. It tells about His nature, His character, and His likes and dislikes. The more we read, the more we know Him, and the better we can worship Him, and bring Him glory.