Video Game Lovers Beware

By Johnny Angel

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33, KJV)


Do any of you remember when Nintendo video games first came out and were a big hit? Even worse, do you remember the Atari video games. Today I've been realizing how old I am. But back in those days I was a video game freak just like any other kid.

There was one problem, though, I didn't have a Nintendo right when they were really popular. My favorite game at the arcade came out on the Nintendo and the Sega both. (Don't you wish their names were simple like they used to be!) But I couldn't get it because I didn't have either one.

One day the game came out for the Atari. We bought it as soon as possible, and I immediately began figuring out how to beat it. I was determined to go right through it because I had mastered it at the arcade. But to my suprise, it had a few differences, and I soon found myself getting smashed up by ninja warriors.

Later on, I did buy a Nintendo when it was on sale. But I still didn't have a copy of this game for the Nintendo. (Those of you sitting there wondering what the big deal is about having it for the Nintendo will just have to understand that it's a video game freak thing.) Anyway, I rarely have time to play anymore so it doesn't matter all that much.

But there are times when I'm sitting at the BSU waiting for a looongg meeting to get started or I'm at home during Christmas break and I have lots of extra time. I do spend lots of it studying the Bible, but I have found I can only comprehend so much at one time. Somewhere in between I have to take a break.

I found the video game I liked for the Nintendo at the local Putt Putt Golf and Games arcade. Though I can't take it home, I can drop by and play the game when I have time.

Today my friends and I were talking about the old games and how things used to be. (All of you Nintendo 64 people will understand someday when they change it to Nintendo 1024 or something like that!) I told a friend that if he ever found a certain game that I would like for him to buy it for me, and I would pay him for it. He informed me that KMart has several of the old games on sale for $10 a piece. I drove over there to check it out. Though I didn't find the game I wanted, I did find some other cool ones, and in the process I also found a Super Soaker marked off 25%! (I've been wanting one of those really bad ever since my youth group at church pinned me down in the mud, poured a couple of five gallon buckets of water on me, covered me in shaving cream, and then kept shooting me with their Super Soakers.)

Now there's a point to this looney story. There are lots of things that we want in life. But we can't always have them. Sometimes, it's best that we don't have them. And other times, it's best that we don't have them when we want them.

In the past, I would have played these video games constantly. Now, God is a strong priority in my life. I want to serve Him and do things for Him. But there are times when we have to take breaks. And now I can play some of the games I always wanted to, and they're costing a lot less monetarily than they would have before.

When we seek God and His ways, He will bless us in many ways. The key is that we seek Him with all our hearts.

I'm not saying that any of you are going to find a cherry red Corvette sitting in your driveway just because you've been praying or reading the Bible or going to church or whatever. But I can promise that the more you seek God, the happier you will be. Your life will become more and more meaningful. And God may just surprise you with a few things you would have never thought of. After all, I didn't know that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were going home with me at Christmas!

N Prayer, Johnny <*}}}><