Is Your Entertainment "Useful"? (In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 12:1)

(Hebrews 12:1, ESV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 

The author of Hebrews uses a "race" metaphor that his readers would have connected to the popular competitions of the day.

The faithful mentioned in chapter 11 are the "cloud of witnesses" referred to in verse 1. The Greek word for "witnesses" used here most often refers to someone who testifies about something. But it can also refer to a spectator. Given the classic Hebrew literary device of intending multiple non-contradictory meanings in a single word or phrase, both ideas may actually be intended here. Those who modeled faith for us in ancient times both testified about the character of Yahweh with their lives and now also watch as we put our own faith into action.

The author identifies two things we should lay aside as we run this "race of faith".

The first thing the author tells us to set aside is "weight". What in the world is he talking about? If "weight" is to be distinguished from "sin"(the second hindrance that we'll get to in a minute), what is it and what's wrong with it?

At the time Hebrews was written, competitive runners ran with as little weight on them as possible. In fact often they ran naked! The author is telling us to set aside anything that doesn't contribute to running the race.

In teaching about the purpose of life, Paul says "“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything."(1 Corinthians 6:12) There are things we can find ourselves doing in life that fall in the category of "permissible but not useful", and scripture calls us to set aside even these permissible things that aren't useful for engaging in God's purposes.

The second hindrance, "sin" is the most obvious. Sin in our lives hinders our ability to engage in this race and receive the reward that comes after. (As a reminder, we've previously made the observation that "reward" for exercising day-to-day faith is different from the free gift of eternal life.)

The author specifically describes sin as something that "clings so closely", hindering our ability to run this race. There is a danger of ignoring sin in our lives once we begin to understand the immeasurable depth of God's tireless forgiveness. I can sometimes sigh at one of my character flaws and say to myself, "one more reason I need forgiveness", and really mean what I'm saying. But at the same time I then make no effort to tear away the sin in front of me. When I do that I'm allowing a little corner of my life to be inhabited by sin. And both in ways I can detect and many more that I can't, that sin hinders me from engaging more fully in the life God envisions for me.

Finally, the author tells us to run this race "with endurance". The senior pastor at our church uses the expression "plodding along" to describe this. Seasons of passionate obedience and renewed excitement about our faith may come, and then just as quickly go. But the key to doing well in this race and reaping the greatest reward from it is in plodding along with steady consistency. Not waiting for our feelings of passion to move us in to what God has for us next, but keeping a habit in his word, and in relational prayer with him, so that we can see and hear the more subtle direction he gives us.


SO WHAT'S IN THIS FOR GEEKS?

Let's just dump it on the table. We are materialistic. Although a geek doesn't have to be defined by their passionate and tight-fisted grip on entertainment, most of us tend to have one. Entertainment itself is certainly permissible, and even useful for rest, creative inspiration and other things. But it's so easy to try and make it more than those things, depending on it as a source of escape from problems we should actually be dealing with.

The moment entertainment becomes more than it should, even if only in a subtle way that no one would label as "obsessive" or "addictive", it hinders us from engaging in something God has for us. Maybe that "something" is a tough conversation that will humble us and make us more aware of our need for his tireless grace. Maybe it's time spent in secluded prayer or contemplating scripture. Maybe it's time spent with family. It could be any number of things that we can become aware of if we take a minute today and quietly put a magnifying glass to our lives.

We can also hang on to entertainment that we tell ourselves doesn't effect us, and yet the images of a scantily clad video game character or a sex scene from Game Of Thrones pop in to our heads and lead us to selfish expectations or desires for our wives or girlfriends.

Yeah, there is some serious discomfort that is sometimes involved in running this race. But on the other side of it is relief, as sin and conflict is dealt with, and the feeling of weightlessness and the burst of renewed life that comes after confessing and confronting sin in ourselves. If we want to live with greater freedom and exhilarating purpose in life, the solution is not to say "all things are permissible" and then dive into our hobbies.

Real life, with freedom for ourselves and power to affect others, comes from imitating the faith modeled for us in scripture, throwing aside all hindrances, and steadily moving forward in participation with Yahweh.