“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil”
Ephesians 5:16
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12
If an individual spends an average of 2 hours a day watching television that is 730 hours a year. Giving some liberty, let us say that a child begins watching at the age of four. By the time the child reaches the age of 16, ONE FULL YEAR has been devoted (notice the word) to the t.v. Following the same pattern, and again at only an average of 2 hours a day, by the time the same person reaches the age of 76, they have lost 6 years of their life. Now if an individual views an average of 4 hours a day, then the amounts are doubled. By the age of 16, TWO FULL YEARS have been spent watching and by the age of 76, 12 years are gone. I have been very gracious with giving statistics, realizing that in many homes the image box is on 6,7, even 8 hours a day!
Even if the programs were neutral in nature, could a born-again, washed in the blood, Christ-following believer justify such a waste of time. Of course, it does not take a moral genius to recognize that neutral programs are difficult to find these days, even if one had a moral detector.
Now if the majority of these hours were spent viewing harmful or immoral programs, imagine the damage that is being done to our children as well as ourselves! Is it any wonder that even those that profess Christ as their Saviour are not led by the Spirit of God! Is it any wonder that those that take up the pew space in our local churches know so little of the Word of God, that surely it grieves our Lord! Is it any wonder that God’s people do not weep for lost souls and do not witness for the Lord that they profess!
Giving some liberty, I am going to estimate that the average Christian spends 60 minutes a week witnessing for Christ. This works out to be 52 hours a year or 520 hours every 10 years. So, lets say that a person receives the Lord Jesus Christ at 10 years old. Forgetting the normal excuse that they haven’t grown yet to the point of being able to witness and seeing that the redeemed of the Lord should certainly be able to say so, regardless of their age, this young person witnesses for his Lord this 52 hours a year. By the time he has reached the age of 22, he has witnessed the equivalent of 26 days in that 12 years. (Compare that to the statistics above).
If a Christian spends 4 hours a week in church, hopefully receiving biblical instruction and teaching and spends 30 minutes a day doing private bible reading and studying that is a total of 7 ½ hours a week or 390 hours a year. Every 12 years that would mean that the person would spend the equivalent of 195 days studying or reading the most wonderful book that has ever been available to mankind.. (Again, compare with the statistics above)
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