Escape by Keith Cook
"And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. " Exodus 33:14
Recently I was talking with author, Ken Abraham, about writing. I was really looking for some good writing tips to improve my communication skills. I was not searching for what I got. Ken made a statement right in the middle of our conversation that hit me like a ton of bricks. He referred to some secular books as "escape reading."
As I pondered that term God started me thinking about my reading habits. That moved quickly to my leisure time habits and then God camped there for a while.
I love to read. I love mystery movies and westerns on television. I sometimes read a book a night. Louis L'Amour, Sherlock Holmes, Roy Rogers, Tom Clancy, Star Trek, all have been used to help me escape.
What am I escaping to? What am I escaping for? Do I need a secular escape? Can non-religious entertainment ever be okay for me?
After I became a Christian God led me to stop most of my secular practices. I was so worldly. After about ten years God said it was alright for me to begin to read secular books and even listen to good secular music. It was hard for me and I always felt guilty, but God wanted me to have a safe escape. My conscience had been under His control long enough for me to know when a book, magazine, movie, or music were off limits.
After a while I was devouring L'Amour westerns. I loved them. I was reading several a week. It was fun and I was having a great time. Then God moved me to chart my reading habits. Most of my reading was now secular and very little was Christian.
God led me to make the following little rule for my life. For every five religious books I read I can read a secular book. This pattern works for me. For every hour I spend watching my NFL Titans football team, I have to spend equal amounts of time in quality time with my family and friends. (That means talking and listening!)
God has shown me I do need to escape. I need to rest my religious mind. I do need to leave work behind for a while. I do need to give up the pressure of being the man of the family with all the answers. But I need to escape with boundaries and these boundaries always must include Him!
What are your escape mechanisms?
How much time do you spend escaping reality?
What could you do to get back in balance?
Is God giving you your healthy pattern or safe parameters for leisure?
Daily Prayer Focus: Thank God for your "escape mechanisms". Ask Him if you have discipline and standards in your times of rest.
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On The Go Daily Devotional for October 9, 2019
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