Time management

[olorc]

Obviously on this forum people like anime and watch it quite a bit. I myself am one of these people. Lately however I've starting thinking that spending so much time on something such as anime was really how God wanted me to spend my time. To live a sold out life for Jesus feels like it requires more than just a daily devo., good christian friends and church, but also living every moment for Him and his glory. It feels like devoting time and energy to other things would almost be not living all out for Jesus. This is just something I've been thinking about and I am decidedly not condemning people who watch a lot of anime. I know I do. What do you all think of this and where do you draw the line as far as time management goes.

[Ashley]

Helped ya out with the title and removed your double post of shame. XD

Anyway, there is a really thin balance to walk, Olorc, and one that many of us have faced. But I would say as long as you do not "waste" your time--i.e. spend more than a reasonable amount of time devoted to anime, movies, books, (anything other than God, really) you should be ok. But if you feel God is calling you to a higher standard, by all means follow His divine prompting. I don't think anime should be treated any differently than any other media though, so if you're going to cut out anime from your life I'd also cut out books, movies, tv, etc. Or at least par it down to a reasonable amount of "other" time.

Remember too that God knows we're human. He knows that we crave entertainment, and He loves us enough to allow us to spend our time how we choose. Like a parent who allows their kid to choose between playing ball with them or watching their favorite TV show. The parent has the responsibility to make sure their kids don't get too far into any one obsession, but the parent cares more about seeing their child HAPPY than forcing them to spend time with them. Similiarly, while God would adore us to spend every waking hour with Him in fellowship, He understands our desire for entertainment and such; and I believe He loves seeing us made joyful at some of the pleasures our world can provide. As long as we remember who our God is (the creator and giver of all good things--the one who allows us to have the means and time and intelligence to enjoy things like books or anime) and do not let these desires overshadow God's will in our lives, I don't think watching a title or two will be bad for your spiritual health. However, as I said the most important person to speak to about this is the Lord Himself; you and you alone know what God is telling YOU about YOUR standards and the life He has called YOU to.

There's a very good thread about a similiar problem here (http://www.christiananime.com/showthread.php?t=14994) you may also want to read through.