I believe God has sent you to post here, and I feel in my heart I should do the same thing. I have no doubt it will be difficult, I'm a boring guy and I don't get out, pretty much a shut-in. Only time I usually leave is to go to church or a short walk. I have just uninstalled all the games on my computer and intend on selling my Xbox eventually and to give the money to the poor. I'm thinking in my heart right now "This is impossible, I won't be able to last too long doing this" However, I really have the wrong mindset. It is possible, and Jesus Christ is my strength. I just need to focus on that.
I would say that this is a pretty good realization because Christ said that without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). In His strength we can overcome even the most enslaving and powerful sinful desires. Those sins which bind a man and hold him tight as though he were bound with iron chains are shattered and broken to pieces when Christ comes and sets him free. I have seen this in my own life and can testify of it.
One of the things I feel ashamed of now is not getting rid of the games sooner. I wish I had repented more thoroughly and zealously of them instead of wrestling with it so long.
With the help of Christ you can indeed overcome. It would be best though to not try and get rid of it a little at a time, but in one full swing, and to burn any bridges that you might cross to try and get back.
"If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.” Matthew 18:9
I say this because I have seen in my life that when there are things that the Lord calls me away from, if I try and do it little by little instead of just cutting it off and throwing it away as Jesus said to, then I find that the Devil will come and try to convince me to rethink my actions, and it makes the struggle all the more worse and miserable. Yet, as soon as I fully yield there is peace and relief. I could pray again, I could read the scriptures again without it breathing fire on me. A clear conscience before God is a must.
I suggest you go before the Lord and confess it and forsake it. Ask Him to help and change your heart in the matter. Ask Him to make you willing if you aren’t willing.
What about music? I don't listen to satanic music, like metal or anything. Then again not all metal is satanic but I stay away from it. Music is also one of my hobbies, I enjoy music. Must I give up listening to music too?
God does not tell you to given up everything you enjoy, unless what you enjoy is sin. He wants you to find your greatest joy in His Son, Jesus Christ. If you give anything up for the sake of following Christ you aren't losing anything really, but you are gaining much more. If you find your highest joy in Christ, those other things which you enjoy will seem dim and worthless. It's like that old hymn says
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace."
When we see Christ for who He is, were sold.
As for what to give up, I’d say in general it depends on the music, and similar guidelines apply to what music you listen to as what you watch on TV, or video games you play. If your music does not glorify God, but rather the things of the world (money, sex, drugs, fame), it would be best to get rid of it. I am not going to tell you what you can and cannot listen to outside of these things, I won’t be your conscience. Deal with the Lord directly on this issue, ask Him what to do, ask Him to open your eyes to why it is bad.
I had a similar struggle also with the music I listened to. I would listen to things like Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Journey, Boston, etc… and I began to be convicted to stop listening to them. This was not so much of a struggle but it was not easy. Over time it sort of just fell away.
Looking back I definitely worshiped those artists in my mind and heart, often debating in my mind who the better artist was, or what the best song was, or the best guitarist was, etc….
I listen now mainly to a bunch of no-name Christian artists, things that edify and build up, that stir my mind up to thinking about heavenly things rather than earthly things.
Music is a powerful thing and has a huge effect on the emotions. I used to listen to a lot of blues and instrumentals but I have for the most part gone away from these things, not because they are sinful (the instrumentals that is) but because of the frame of spirit they put me in when I listen to them. I find that it really puts of spirit of pride in me and it kind of disquiets my spirit, so I stay away from it for the most part now. This area is more of an issue of conscience.
I’m not going to give you a list here, just seek the Lord on it.
As a last thing on music, I used to play the guitar a lot along with the video games. After the Lord saved me it was one of the things that I feel He called me away from (which was also a HUGE struggle).
I eventually gave all my gear away and put it down for a couple of years. It is not that guitar is a sin, but rather that Christ did not want me involved with it at that time because it was a huge idol in my heart. I was often thinking about guitars, guitar parts, what parts I was going to buy next, what amps and effects I wanted, etc… overall my heart was full of covetousness and materialism, and the Lord pulled me out if it.
Recently I have somewhat gone back to it now because I think it is something that is not a problem. I have a cheap acoustic guitar that I play every now and then but it is not anywhere near what it was in my life a couple of years back. I can’t really play to long in a sitting before I feel emptiness of vanity coming in and I have to set it down to do something else.
By the way, what do you do now that you have so much free time after giving up your gaming life? Thanks for your replying to this post, I feel like I'm on the right path now. God has closed a door and now I'm sure he will open a new door.
Given that the Lord saved me sometime after I had begun college the void of time was filled with studying, which is something I never really learned how to do in high school (due to video-games). My free-time now is mainly spent in studying for school and doing homework, or spent reading the scriptures or praying. I usually take Sundays off and spend time with the my brothers and sisters at the fellowship I attend. But for the most part, my time goes to school or study.
I remember asking the Lord years ago, even before He saved me when I felt the pull away from these things, what I was supposed to do with all the time I had. It seems that has been answered.
Don’t let the Devil come in and tell you that God is boring and reading the Bible is boring. It
WAS that way for me
when I was lost. God was boring, prayer was boring, reading the Bible was boring, and it was all a huge chore for me, but when God saved me that changed.
These things are enjoyable now and I give my time to them because I now enjoy them.
Here is what King David said about the Scriptures that he had (Genesis through Deuteronomy)
“I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.”
Psalm 119:162
Go to Christ and find everything in Him, you won't regret it.