How To Set Limits on Video Game Playing

If you have read my bio, you know that I enjoy video games, especially online games like Call of Duty. Many problems can arise with video games though. How much time should we play them? What types of games should we avoid? Should all of my children play the same games when they are at different ages? Are some games off limits to adults? I have a few suggestions to offer you. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

"The Truth" John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

For Your Kids

Games Come Last

Games or any hobby that your children enjoy need to be the last priority of their day. Have they finished their homework yet? Have they done their chores for the day yet? Have they spent time reading the Bible and praying today? All of these things are more important than games. If you keep your children’s “fun time” until the priorities of the day have been met, you will instill good values in them.

What Games Are Okay?

It is not just the time spent playing games that is important, but also what types of games that you allow your kids to play. It is imperative that we as parents take the time to look at what games we are going to allow our children to play. Should kids under the age of 15 play Call Of Duty? No way! There are graphic gun fights, swearing, drinking and other things they don’t need to hear and see. And if you are online you can’t stop other people from saying what they want. I’m just thankful you can mute people online, but you aren’t going to miss every conversation unless you can afford expensive headphones that mute everyone. Games allowed NEED to be age sensitive, and not by the rating on the game case. Those ratings are too lenient. Find reviews from reliable sources before you buy questionable games for your kids. The media has a huge pull on the way children act and think, but our influence needs to be even bigger.

Games Are A Privilege

Games, like any hobby, are a privilege and not a guarantee for children. If your child is being disrespectful of you, take the games away. If your child lies to you, take the games away. If your child talks back to you, take the games away. Children need to know their boundaries and whether they have crossed them or not. Let them know if they have crossed the line by disciplining them.

For The Adults

Are All Games Okay

The answer is no. Any game that entices sinful thoughts out of you should not be played. We should never look on a person naked unless it is our spouse. Games that have nudity should not be played, no matter how fun they are. Games that applaud sin shouldn’t be played. The Grand Theft Auto games are a prime example. The whole premise of those games is to go on crime sprees and wreak havoc on the city. What good can come of this? None. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” How can we focus on pure and lovely things when we are stealing cars on a game?

Prioritize

Just like with kids, we need to prioritize how much we are playing games. God needs to be first in our lives and if we put anything before Him than there is an issue. I thank God every single day for sending Jesus to pay for my sins because I know that daily I do struggle with putting things in front of time with God. The bottom line is this: anything that we do that isn’t focused on God is a distraction. There is nothing wrong with playing video games, but we need to make sure to daily commit time to God and His Word first. The same goes in marriage. God needs to be a higher priority than your spouse. When God is first, then everything else will fall right into place.

Conclusion

Video games are a lot of fun, but they can be a stumbling block as well. Take the time to research games before you buy them. Set rules up for your kids and the privilege of video games. Be honest with yourself when you play video games. Is God cool with the entertainment you enjoy from the video games you own? You know the answer. God bless you all!

Click through on this link to see a list of family fun video games!  My Top 5 Family Friendly Action Video Games

Resources- ESV Holy Bible, Youtube, Photo Credit: Sherif Salama via Compfight cc