When we got home from church the kids wanted to play the Nintendo 64. We’ve always said no video games on Sunday. I sat down with the kids and had a long conversation with them about Sunday and why it is a different day than most days during the week. We discussed what they think are and aren’t appropriate activities on Sunday. We decided that activities we do as a family are good. They mentioned board games and Ryder wanted to know how board games are any different than Nintendo games. In both cases they’re playing together and in neither case do they learn more about Jesus. He stumped me on this one. So they played Nintendo together today. We will see how long that lasts. I wish Brad had been there to help me out!
It’s tough, really tough, in this age to tell kids they’re not to do non-God-focused things on a Sunday. If a family is watching tv, videos on YouTube, checking Social Media etc on a Sunday, why bother with saying “no video games”. Not very long ago historically speaking (the 1800s) the general “take” on secular things was that frivolous activities of any kind on a Sunday was anti-Christian. This included card games, dances, parties, sporting events, novel reading, even trips to the park. It really depends on what you think God expects of us. For many people, going to church entails music that more performance-based than worship-based, some announcements, some standup comedy with a smidgen of feel-good preaching thrown in, and then a pitch for money, often in about an hour. With kids I wouldn’t expect miracles (no pun intended) but if the parents aren’t “leading by example” with their God-honoring/respecting actions on a Sunday, all day long, and joyfully instead of as a burden or imposition, then there’s not much point asking kids to do the same.
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