On Sunday I started a two-week media fast. This was a concept that God first introduced me to when I was a youth pastor. I had taken the youth to a retreat and in the retreat we were all challenged to examine our lives and see what changes might need to be made. God made it immediately clear what I was to do.

You see, I’m a media junkie. I love movies, television, video games, YouTube, and surfing the net to learn things I don’t really need to know - but simply have to. Between having a full-time job, being a husband, having (then one) child, and youth ministry… my media habit sucked all the rest of the time out of my day. I’d stay up late just so I could watch the latest downloaded episode of whatever show I was obsessed with at that time.

The rules that God gave me were clear: no movies, no television, no video games, and no surfing for entertainment purposes. That isn’t where it stops though. Cutting media will, by itself, simply give you more time. What you do to fill that time is what has the potential of great impact.

So, the rules also included that with my free time, I was to spend them in non-trivial pursuits like talking with my family, playing with my (then one) child, reading and studying scripture, reading and studying a few books, or working on my guitar playing (which had languished… still is, by the way).

This was a number of years ago and I have not, since then, felt the need to go on an extended media fast. I had committed to two full weeks and ended up doing it for three full weeks. It was one of the most amazing experiences because I realized how much time I was wasting doing frivolous things. Don’t get me wrong - we need the frivolous from time to time. Repeat after me: Entertainment is not evil. It only becomes evil if we hunger for it, binge on it, push aside the non-trivial so we can get more of it, and pattern our lives around it.

I’ve been blogging a lot about my seeming inability to put in the required effort to do much of anything. I am able to do this A significant factor that enables me to ignore the important is because I have once again filled my life with as much entertainment as I can. As I’ve been praying and listening to God expose me to the aspects of my life that are sabotaging my ability to improve… He called me to another media fast.

This time, God told me to spend time talking with my family, playing with my (now two) children, reading some classics, honing the craft and artistry of writing, honing the craft and artistry of playing guitar, and honing the craft and artistry of leading fellow believers in corporate song.

So, yesterday, Jana and Zoë went on an outing to a friend’s house who was having a cookie party for kids. Téya was in bed and I was at home with “nothing to do.” My first true test of my media fast (on the first day!) So, I read, prayed, studied, wrote and rewrote, worked on my new bicycle, briefly napped, and read and wrote some more… I got so much done in the two-plus hours they were gone I was amazed.

Tonight, I went for a 20+ minute bike ride (trying to get into shape) around the neighborhood and came back drenched in sweat, read and commented on three great blogs (Said At Southern, Challies, and The Jolly Blogger) and decided to write this post. In just two short days, I have had a great time not watching media. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll probably watch a movie the day this fast is done - but I know I will do it far less and with a greater appreciation for the time God has given me in each day.

I ask that you’d pray for me as I go through this that God would multiply my time and that I would make great strides forward in the things He has called me to. I’ve very excited to see what God has for me in this.