I've been struggling with the "D" word for as long as I can remember. The "D" word, of course, is discipline. I can beat anyone at finding excuses for living an undisciplined life. My list of excuses includes:
- I am a free spirit. Living with routine, order, and daily ritual goes against how God made me.
- Discipline= boring.
- I like to leave room for the unknown in my daily life.
- I have time to grow into a disciplined life when I get older.
Having discipline amidst my daily living does not have to be boring. Also, being disciplined does not mean I cannot be flexible to whatever unknown event may show up that day. The excuse of waiting till I am older no long stands because I have arrived to that place of "older". Yes, I am still young, but I am now an adult. I am a full time wife, mom, and homemaker. This lofty job requires a lot of discipline if to be done in excellence.
So now that I have faced my fears and uttered the "D" word, it is time I take action. My first step towards living a more disciplined life is turning off the television.
TV is my old friend. I love flipping it on, surfing from one station to the next. I watch any program that may peak my interest, from design, cooking, style, games shows, crime drama, whatever. I can unwind and be mindless in front of the TV. I don't have to do anything but sit. I love to sit.
So what's the problem?
The days I have the TV on, almost nothing gets done. Time slips away as I think, "just one more episode . . .". Suddenly, my bedtime has come and gone, I have dirty dishes piled up in the sink, clothes in the dryer, and clutter in the living room. By watching TV, books go unread, projects untouched, and often, my sweet son is left to entertain himself without much care. To put it plainly, TV has become the biggest time waster in my life.
The choice to turn off the TV is my most crucial step to living a disciplined life. I am now free to do what matters. I can pursue what has lasting value. My mind is also much more free to think on Kingdom matters, rather than being filled with images often sexual, violent, or materialistic in nature. Commercials are also problematic for my eyes, lying to me about what I simply cannot live without.
My husband and I have discussed some guidelines for the TV:
- Avoid all daytime TV. This allows me to have full, productive days. Also, Rafferty benefits from not thinking TV watching is the norm. We hope to raise our children with a love for reading and using their imagination. Although the television offers programs geared towards aiding in these things, we prefer to go the old-school route of straight up books and make-believe.
- Avoid channel- surfing. This is to help me only turn on the TV if I have a free evening and a specific show in mind.
- Remember Psalm 101:2-3a. "I will be careful to lead a blameless life- when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing." What I see with my eyes affects the condition of my heart. As my heart belongs to God, it is crucial I protect it and keep it blameless. Watching many TV programs and ads can easily fall under the category of "vile thing(s)".
"Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth." - Proverbs 10:4
It is my hope that as I turn off the television, my hands will be diligent to work hard and produce an eternal wealth.
My Mom used to only let us watch an hour of t.v. a day. It made it a little more special and got us outside. Instead of it being an all day thing, it was more for family entertainment and I remember every show we'd watch together.
ReplyDeleteI have a harder time with the internet, it's my biggest time sucker. I was thinking of monitoring my time for the same reasons. It's so easy to get distracted. I could spend hours on wikipedia. 0_o
Great post! Ask Dustin about the dreaded TV "lock!" TV locked on Sunday nights and unlocked on Friday nights. Watched only special programing during the week, like World Series Baseball Games, etc. Limited amount of TV on weekends. That was how I handled the "D" word in regards to TV. UGH! Hard. And, come to find out, 3 little boys spent much time looking for the keys to the locks (finding them often, I discovered later) on nights the parents were out.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with - but it is worth it in the long run.
Karen/Mom
You go girl! Awesome and challenging. I love reading about your dedication to your son and husband. I'm excited to see what kind of things "get done" because of being disciplined!
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