Freely Speaking Audio Devotion

Welcome to Freely Speaking, an OHSOFREE devotional ministry where we share our hearts and trust God for transformation.

Today’s devotion was written by Marge Webb.

“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything...” (Exodus 20:3-4 NIV).

The year was 1965, and my brother, Don, and I were waiting by the door for the arrival of a new appliance for our home. Oh, not just any appliance; a brand-new TV. I’m sure it wasn’t big or fancy, and it was way inferior to the huge television set in my living room now. Instead of the hundreds of channels cable offers today, we had four stations. But this TV was our first color television. It was spiffy, and our first show to watch that night was Batman with all the flashes of bam, zonk, kapow, and wham blazing in living color.

Television is something that I must exercise caution with so as not to idolize the “boob tube” as my mother called it. My favorite programs are game shows and sports, but watching athletic events can be very time-consuming.

I read a quote recently that said the greatest measure of who we are and what we love is how we spend our time. When we spend too much time consumed by anything, it becomes an idol.

The verses above, found in Exodus, contain the beginning of what we call the Ten Commandments. Ironically, while Moses was on Mt. Sinai in the presence of Almighty God, his peeps were below building golden calves to worship. Their desire to have a god who could be seen and touched stemmed from a lack of trust in an unseen holy God. This diversion established a pattern of rebellion and idol worship that would last for decades.

The idolization of television is a problem when it robs us of productivity. If we aren’t careful, important tasks can be pushed aside in favor of entertainment. From a spiritual standpoint, we may lose focus on the time we spend reading the Bible, praying, and worshipping. Television can also take away precious time reserved for our families. 

What occupies too much of your time? Has it become an idol in your life? 

Thank you for joining us today. To learn more about OhSoFree Ministries, please visit us at www.ohsofreeministries.com.