Leisure

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” – Romans 1:20

I’m finding that this new world has changed my relationship with entertainment and leisure. Perhaps because my days are more intense and non-stop, because there is a greater sense of restlessness with being cut off from outside activities, or simply because I’m generally online more following news and connecting virtually with others, the lure towards media-oriented, escapist entertainment is greater. It’s tempting to be lazy about what I read or watch, but part of navigating the new rhythms of this life is recognizing that I must also navigate what I do with my spare time. Are there inner emotions, stresses or struggles underlying the impulse for escapism? How does what I read or watch affect me? How does it reveal what I crave or long for, or what I believe will save me? How can I readjust my leisure life in a healthy way?

The question I’ve typically used to help me sort through whether something is a healthy form of leisure is: how life-giving is this activity for me? After I do it, do I feel more refreshed, energized, or renewed, or do I feel more deadened or tired? But as I was reading our passage in Romans, it occurred to me that there could be a deeper question to ask. Paul says that when we look at things in our world, one of two things can happen: we can perceive the nature of God, or we can perceive idols that replace God. All of God is writ in his creation, but how we perceive it can be vastly different. 

The truth is, I come to my leisure time with a need. How can I use the free time I have to perceive God in the way I need to receive Him, to receive life in Him? Sometimes I need to perceive God’s vastness after a cloistered day at home: that may mean going outside, or reading something that expands my awareness of the world. Sometimes I need to perceive God’s presence in suffering or emotion: that may mean reading a book or watching a movie that gives me an excuse to cry. Sometimes I need to perceive God’s image reflected in the parts of me that aren’t related to being a mom: that may mean exercising an old hobby. Sometimes I need to remind myself of aspects of God I can’t see myself: that may mean connecting with some friends. 

Conversely, does my leisure sink me more deeply into idolatry in any way, or to an unhealthy degree? Is it leading me, however insidiously, to exchange some truth about God for a lie, to serve some aspect of creation rather than the Creator (verse 25)? The line between something showing me an image of God, and becoming an idol unto itself, is a tricky one, and I generally have to be both brutally honest and uncomfortably vigilant with myself. Sometimes these are the hardest, unseen battles that I fight. But I don’t do it to be legalistic. I do it because I know that how I spend my leisure time is one of the most important things I do. I do it because I love Jesus, and I know that ultimately in Him is life (John 1:4). May God reveal Himself to us in the ways we need life and rest as we walk into each day.