I spoke to author, speaker, and radio host Mr. Jay Younts today (www.johnayounts.com) by telephone and he said something that was eye opening to me.
He said that persons who excessively play video & internet games are often doing so because we were originally created to subdue and have dominion over the earth. Because of the Fall, mankind falls short in this original purpose and is thwarted often by sin (see Gen. 3:16-19). Video games give people an opportunity to subdue a fantasy world and to subdue & take dominion over it. Until that world is conquered, people continue to play in an “addictive” manner.
Since the Fall in Genesis 3, mankind has been trying to regain dominion over a fallen world which is a consequence given by God due to mankind’s sin.
Mr. Younts reminded me that this desire in all of us is a product of the Creation, Fall, and Redemption motif for mankind found in the Bible. Video games are simply one way that the desire plays out. Excessive work and
exercise are other ways that people seek to control and take dominion over the earth, too.
Jay Younts is the author of Everyday Talk and he blogs for The Shepherd Press at (www.shepherdpress.com).
He plans to do a series on “Cutting & Self-injury” on that blog and asked me if he could utilize some of the booklet that I wrote! What an honor for me to be used by God in this way!
-Mark (grateful to be learning from thoughtful men like Mr. Jay Younts)