Do everything for God's glory; how do we do that with games?

[Destroyer2000]

How do we game for God's glory?

[GrubbTheFragger]

well for starters be nice on x-box live and stay away from obvious bad games aka any games with xtreme volleyball in the title

[CrossMovement]

well for starters be nice on x-box live and stay away from obvious bad games aka any games with xtreme volleyball in the title

We beat the bad guy of the game and go online.While we destroy people in video games we preach the gospel...>_>

Thats what I plan to do for Smash Bros Revolution....

[Midori]

Well, it can't be much different from watching anime for god's glory.
But that is a good question. Try Phillipians 4:8.

Thats what I plan to do for Smash Bros Revolution....

That is, if they allow a chat function.

[TheMelodyMaker]

As far as making a game for His glory goes, I'm working on that. ^_^

[Mr. SmartyPants]

As far as making a game for His glory goes, I'm working on that. ^_^

how did I know you were going to bring your game up

[GrubbTheFragger]

as far as destroying and killing in the name of God thats kinda a confusng subject cuz on x-box live while playing halo 2 u could actually say good game to the worst person on ur team instead of cursing him out and honor God in that way. But as far as like playing GTA and honoring God if u can some how do that then please do tell

[Stephen]

How does on Glorify God while eating a sandwhich? Some things we just do...Gaming is gaming.

[uc pseudonym]

Ah, you beat me to that. I was going to use eating as an example as well.

However, I wasn't going to take quite that route. For the most part, I hold that the main issue is what is in your heart, and that is the case regardless of what you are doing. As for gaming... all that really comes to mind is what GrubbTheFragger said. You represent Christ in online gaming as much as any other social function.

But as far as like playing GTA and honoring God if u can some how do that then please do tell

In my answer, let me first say that I'm putting aside all ethical (as distinct from moral) issues. Playing such games might have personal or psychological consequences otherwise.

That having been said, I don't see the difference between GTA and almost any other video game. All of them portray sin in some manner. So does all literature, including the Bible. There is, of course, the issue of if any given thing glorifies sin, but most video games do that too. Portrayal of sin is not itself participation in that sin, for the most part.

[yukinon]

Is your question regarding the violence and such inherent in gaming or more just the fact that it seems to be a sort of neutral activity?

For example: it's pretty obvious how we can sing for God's glory, or do other specific things, such as abstinence. But how do you drive for God's glory? It seems a neutral activity.

[Arnobius]

I don't believe eating is a valid comparison. Eating is a natural body function essential for life. Gaming is for recreation, and not the only option for recreation.

However, that being said, I think we glorify God in gaming by bringing our beliefs to the console or computer. With online games, I suppose we need to watch the slips of the tongue, and with the games themselves, try to avoid those games that trouble your conscience...

Our witness to others is partially done by our actions. With the games we choose to play, we tell others how important it is to be careful about the content we find acceptable.

Some things are incompatible with being a Christian, and I would argue some games are too when they glorify doing evil (those hentai games come to minid for example).

Anyway, I'm not going to denounce any games here or anybody for playing games. Everyone needs to inform their conscience and follow it, practiciing custody of the senses with things they feel are incompatible with it.

It's up to each of you though where that line is drawn. I wouldn't appreciate you telling me which anime I should be avoiding or what music is "evil" so I'm sure you won't want me to be telling you what games are evil.

edit

For example: it's pretty obvious how we can sing for God's glory, or do other specific things, such as abstinence. But how do you drive for God's glory? It seems a neutral activity.

By obeying the laws of the road, practicing respect for our fellow driver.

With our activities we may be doing mundane things, but the attitude we bring to it can affect it. Eating is neutral, but what if we do it in a glutinous fashion? Or refrain from it (fasting) for a purpose? Our attitudes and actions within it shape the morality. For example, at my job, there is nothing to come up which involved moral decisions while feeding inserts into hoppers. However temptations to file false reports instead of arguing with the press that they need to print more copies, or choosing wherther or not to interact with profane co-workers is an issue I need to deal with.

I don't know how any of you live and I intend to pass no judgements. I only offer this as a general question: If someone sees no areas where Christian faith or morality are an issue, is it possible this person is not taking the time to look for them?

[Stephen]

I mainly used eating because it seemed a neutral thing. If you want to push things, thats fine. How bout how do you tie your shoes for Gods glory. How do you paint a house for Gods glory. How do you take a martial art for Gods glory. See my point yet? Or will you simply say that all of these things are different from gaming? If somthing troubles you, don't play it. But I think that is a decision that everyone needs to make on there own.

[KA1-EG13]

I don't even know what I'm getting in to this but to tie ones shoes may not go to God's glory directly per say, but it is benefecial to the foot which is part of the body and the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. If you don't tie your shoes they could slip off and you could get a grass bur stuck in your foot, or you could trip on your shoe laces, bust your jaw on the ground and thus damage the temple of God.

As for painting a house, you can do such a thing for free as charity to some old people who can't do such a thing, and when the old people ask why you did such a thing, you can tell them its what Jesus would have done and thus glorified God.

Martial arts should't be used for self-defense because Jesus taught to turn the other cheek, but I am a solid believer in defending the defenseless. Apart from protecting people martial arts can be used to streangthen the body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and with that streangth you acquire through your training you can do things you were once not strong enough to do such as save a person pinned down by a heavy object.

There are reletively very very few nutral actions that are nutral, and absolutely no things (nouns) that are nutral either. Even a speck of dust glorifies God, because such a speck of dust is evidence of God's creation.
God is even glorified in little things such as a person like me being able to type, because I've done horrible things with my hands and rightfully should have then ripped from my wrist, but God is graceful enough let me keep them.

However, those little things in themselves only gloryify God through there very existance. Just being able to move your hand doesn't mean your glorifiying God, unless you move it to the purpose of glorifying God in your heart.

[Radical Dreamer]

Remember, there's moral, immoral, and amoral (not sure if that's spelled right, haha). Moral meaning good, immoral meaning evil, and amoral meaning...nothing. Eating popcorn is amoral. Not sure where I went with this, but ok. XD

[Arnobius]

1 a : being neither moral nor immoral; specifically : lying outside the sphere to which moral judgments apply <science as such is completely amoral -- W. S. Thompson> b : lacking moral sensibility <infants are amoral>
2 : being outside or beyond the moral order or a particular code of morals <amoral customs>

[Puritan]

HOLD IT! I have to diagree with the idea that "Turning the other cheek" involves not using martial arts in self-defense or defending ones self in general. I would side with John Calvin, Augustine of Hippo, and others in saying that the "turn the other cheek" passage is telling us not to work for revenge or attack someone else because they attacked us. Thus, we should take insults and attacks (turn the other cheek) without trying to revenge ourselves, but that doesn't prevent us from trying to protect ourselves. I.E. to ward someone off with self defense methods is acceptable, even if you badly hurt them (although that must not be your goal). To exact revenge upon someone is never acceptable.

As for gaming, I would say that, while some people can use it for witnessing, usually it falls under the category of entertainment. Near the end of Ecclesiates (Chapter 11 vs. 5-10 and Chr. 12 vs. 1) it says that we should enjoy our youth and follow the ways of our hearts while worshiping God and refraining from things which are not from God. I think this applies to our whole lives, as other parts of Ecclesiastes indicate. God has given us the ability to do many things, and as long as we make sure to keep Him as the center of our lives and refrain from things He hates (such as games which are morally bad or making video games a god in our lives by devoting too much time to them), entertainment such as video games is a good thing. Until it breaks God's moral bounds I would agree that gaming is amoral, and if one enjoys it, it is a good thing.

[Kaligraphic]

Make manifest the pwnage of the l0rd

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Make manifest the pwnage of the l0rd

*Counter-Terrorist win*

I guess one way is to play like on Christian servers (which I do with CS!)

[Bobtheduck]

How do we game for God's glory?

How do you eat a meal by yourself for God's glory? Answer? It helps you do other things. Gaming is a form of relaxation.

How do you eat a meal with others for God's glory? Answer? It let's you fellowship and share of yourself. "RPG parties" and gameplaying/watching groups like I had can be felloshipping times, as well as relaxation...

How do you serve food to others for God's Glory? Answer? Involving others can mean you care for them. The same can be said for multiplayer games, provided you don't scream at them when they kick your little butt in Halo.

As for Ecclesiastes, [spoiler="My viewpoint, may fall into realm of theological debate"]I view it as an entertaining narrative, worthy of respect when taken AS A WHOLE and NEVER in individual verses, and the Bible's primary non-spiritual philosophical book, but I don't view it as something that commands us in any respect, because it is a book that is very self-contradictory. Any lesons to be taken from that book should be taken only after a carefull reading of the entire thing...[/spoiler]

[Puritan]

I would be careful in dismissing Ecclesiates in that way (It was included in the Bible for a reason) but regardless, my opinion has been formed after a number of readings of the book over time, and with discussion with others and the reading of scholarly analysis of the book. From my reading, I have formed the opinion above as it definately seems to be a message of Ecclesiastes, that we should serve God foremostly, and also do what we enjoy in life without breaking God's commandments. To me, this would indicate that, as long as things such as videogames do not break God's moral laws in any sense, they are a good and acceptable past-time.

[uc pseudonym]

The discussions on both Ecclesiastes and Matthew 5 / Luke 6 should stop. They definitely cross the line of theological debate in addition to denominational lines. Discussion of Ecclesiastes is probably harmless, but the latter is something I definitely have strong feelings about.

I don't believe eating is a valid comparison. Eating is a natural body function essential for life. Gaming is for recreation, and not the only option for recreation.

That's fair, though it addresses only the example and not the point. I don't see any need to quibble over this, but I do think a side point is worth addressing.

Eating is neutral, but what if we do it in a glutinous fashion? Or refrain from it (fasting) for a purpose?

Note that gluttony is only a perversion of what eating should be. I feel that not doing something wrong, though wise, is not really doing something for God's glory (it could be argued that I make a meaningless distinction). Similarly, fasting is also about not doing the activity.

With our activities we may be doing mundane things, but the attitude we bring to it can affect it.

This brings to mind Brother Lawrence's Practice of the Presence of God. I'm not certain I completely agree with him, but his "praising God while picking up straws" rings similarly to yours.

Allow me to make one thing clear about my original statement: I think that our hearts and attitudes can make a difference in any activity. However, because this is a universal issue, it doesn't seem tied to a specific discipline. Yes, you can play games for God's glory, but only in essentially the same way as you might drive. Thus is seems to me that I have nothing to say on the specific issue.

[Arnobius]

I agree with what you said on hearts and minds. I hope it didn't sound like I was condemning people. I just wanted to dispute the idea that videogames are outside of morals altogether

[KA1-EG13]

Couldn't agree with you more, UC

[Puritan]

Please excuse, I hadn't really thought about the theological debating aspects of what I was saying. And you do make a good point, gaming does seem to fit in with many of the mundane activities of life, and they really are what you make of them.