substitutes

i definitely hated substitute teachers back in high school - not because of who they were as people, or even that they were subbing in, but they never TAUGHT, in my experience.  rather, the substitute just monitored the space, and nothing really significant happened in class.  it always felt like a waste of time.

sometimes, we substitute things into our lives that are meant to be space where the Gospel of Jesus teaches and shapes us.  and THOSE kinds of substitutes are TRULY a waste of time.  instead of finding our true purpose in our life in Christ, we find purpose in pursuit of comfort, in pursuit of recognition, and in pursuit of a desire of some sort.

video games can unfortunately become a substitute for 3 key things that the Gospel of Jesus truly fulfills:
1 - mission
2 - command structure
3 - someone keeping score

last week at RE:SPAWN we talked about the fact that Jesus gives us a mission, lays it out pretty clearly for us, and then equips us to accomplish it.  the mission of God is the most powerful, life-changing mission we can undertake, and it just so happens that God WANTS us to be about His mission!
video games have mission structures - a clear goal, a clear path or two, and you have something to accomplish.  the mission of a game is WAY easy, when compared to the mission of God, and even the mission of being a good student.  it's easier to accomplish something in the game, and so we spend time doing the mission that we can accomplish with little effort rather than focusing on the mission that will affect our lives in deep and potent ways.

this week, we'll be talking about the fact that we all need to understand the command structure and function within it.

to realize how our need for command structure is met (partly) in gaming, think about how Master Chief interacts with Marines in the Halo games... there is a level of respect, they follow his orders, they assist his mission.  And, from a gamer's perspective, this just feels RIGHT.  Of COURSE it should be this way, and if there was a different interaction, it would either be an awful game or a different game all together. 

In a strategy game or an RPG, there are command structures in place that ensure that the game will flow in a manner that tells the story and accomplishes the goals.  an RPG without boundaries would be pretty weird and not terribly compelling as a game, and the concept of strategy games demands that there be rules within which you can strategize with strategery. 

these games, without a command structure and boundaries, would be chaos. 

and what would chaos be like?  i mean, seriously...

what would chaos be like in game design.  you wouldn't play it!  
what would chaos be like in gov't - what about in your  home?  as interesting as it may be to think about the momentary fun of chaos in the home or in the town, chaos would ultimately be destructive - it is not who we are, it does not truly resonate with our nature. 

God made us in His image, we bear His image, our nature is rooted in His nature, especially if we are Christians.   here's some scripture to get our minds around what all this stuff means:

God's chain of command in:
     trinity - Matt 26:39, Phil 2:5-11
          Clearly, there is a structure even within the Trinity, in whose image we are made.  Jesus submits to the Father, yet the Father lifts up the Son as Lord to whom EVERY knee will bow when things are made right.  So... the ultimate authority in our command structure is God, and the person of Jesus is our Lord and King. 
     family - Col. 3:17-21, Eph. 5:21-6:4, Prov. 17:6, I John 3:1-3
          Within the family, there is a structure - and when we function within it rather than fighting it, we might just like it.  Something deep within us resonates with proper structure, authority, and submission, and Paul lays it all out in his letters.  One of the reasons that our roles as children are so important is because we are called children of God, and He is our Father, and in order to really know how that will work, we must live out that truth with our earthly fathers as much as it depends on us. 
          Thankfully, there is no clarification that we are to obey our parents only if they are "cool," or "right all the time," or "perfect," but rather the implication is that we are to obey them even if they are NOT right!  that'll make your brain explode if you are ages 12-22. 
     church - Hebrews 13:17, I Peter 2:13-15
        Our chain of command also includes the church - the elders, the pastors, and the leaders in ministries are the ones in authority over us, and God holds them accountable for that leadership!  we should take advantage of this command structure and get to know our pastors and leaders when we are young, for they have much to teach us about God's mission if we would listen. 

so within these three contexts, we have our command structure, our chain of command.  what makes our military so (generally speeaking) successful?  do they run around and shoot whoever they want every battle (like some kids i know play Call of Duty)?  nope - there are commands... there is a mission, and there are those who are commanders. 

how this unpacks for the youth in particular and gamers in general:
 in our lives(if we are believers), the Lord Jesus is the supreme commander in chief... He is the Lord before whom EVERYone will eventually bow, and we have the opportunity to serve with NOW, since we have responded to the gospel.  it is important that we learn more and more about this Lord we serve, so as to serve Him better. 
after Jesus, the next general down is the family - your father, your mother, your grandparents, they are commanders who can give you what you need to accomplish God's mission.  this is often passed over, and frequently these commanders will neglect their duty to care for and support you... but God will still speak through even flawed commanders (or donkeys... look it up). 
within the church, there are many men and women who can serve as fathers, mothers, and brothers to help you complete God's mission, but there are also men who are Pastors, who are authorities who can give you specific goals within the mission, and who can pray with you about defeating the enemy.  we must keep this in mind, and even renew our minds with these encouraging truths.