http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%206:12&version=NIV1984
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John+2:15&version=NIV1984
Hobbies. It seems we all have them. These are secondary things that we like to pursue in our spare time. Besides work or school. (Of course, for a few rare people, work or school is their hobby!) Now the hobbies that people have are about as varied as the people who pursue them. Guns. Hiking. Knitting. Scrapbooking. Listening to music. Watching TV. Shopping. Fishing. Remodeling. Cooking. Drawing. Writing. Hunting. Photography. Astronomy. Restoring old vehicles. Skateboarding. Facebook. Sports. Relationships. Gardening. Woodworking. Playing video games. Racing. Travel. Boating. Weightlifting. Rock climbing. Swimming. Skiing. Sewing. Reading. Cleaning. Playing an instrument. Baking. Collecting things - from books to coins to licence plates - you name it. I have purposely tried to list as many hobbies as I could in the hope that you have at least several of them. I know that I do.I suppose that the main attraction of hobbies is that it gives us an opportunity to pursue an interest or passion. We might not have enough time, skill or education to pursue these activities as a vocation so we resort to pursuing them as an avocation. As such, they bring us a great deal of joy and satisfaction. They allow us to use some of our gifts and talents that we might not get to use elsewhere. And having a hobby also can be a great way to relax and reduce stress. Is there anything better than sitting down for an hour to read a great book? Or cook a favorite dish? Or run a couple miles? No. This is precisely why we pursue hobbies. Because they bring us so much fulfillment and satisfaction. And if we can pursue these hobbies with others, family and friends, it makes it even better.
One of the things that I have observed over the years is that people spend a lot of time and money on their hobbies. In most hobbies there is equipment to purchase, which is usually expensive. A sewing machine. A pair of skis. A boat. A gun. An instrument. Various tools. Then there is the amount of time that is devoted to the hobby. This can go from an hour once a month to several hours every day. The fact is that some people put so much time and energy into their hobbies that it’s almost like another life. They seem to live just so that they can pursue their hobby. And they pursue it with passion. They devote entire evenings to their hobby. Or weekends. They take time off of work for them. And they travel to distant locations. No expense of time, money or commitment is too great.Now, as I happen to be a person of many interests and hobbies myself, I understand their importance. Yet, at the same time, I sit back and I wonder. With so much spare time being devoted to hobbies, where does Jesus fit into all of this? The answer is that, for a lot of people, including many Christians, He doesn’t. It’s a simple as that. Jesus isn’t our hobby. And that is sad. Because He should be. More on this subject in tomorrow’s post.
Jesus, it is with great sadness that You must look down and see how much time, energy and money we put into all kinds of hobbies at Your expense. In my own life I need to be careful that my hobbies don’t crowd out time for You. Help me to keep You #1 in my life. That You are first and foremost in everything that I do. That You are my hobby. In Your name, Amen.
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