For most people, binge-watching is not a foreign concept. If we’re honest, many of us have experience with it ourselves. You know: when you sit down to watch an episode of your favourite show and a few hours later you’re hunched over, rubbing your eyes, and confused as to where the hours went. Perhaps a new season aired and the weekend was devoted to watching it all as quickly as possible. This seems like a fairly common occurrence. But, the question is whether this seemingly normal habit should be accepted by Christians.
We need to give consideration to the habit that robs us of a fair bit of time.
Entertainment is so readily available at every turn. It’s incredibly easy to slip into the habit of spending hours scrolling through social media or watching countless episodes of a series. Of course, we cannot be reductionist in our thinking and simply label all entertainment evil. But we do need to give careful consideration to a habit that often robs us of a fair bit of time in our day.
This article has less to do with what someone chooses to watch, there are plenty of resources that can aid in that decision; it’s more concerned with the way in which we have chosen to consume entertainment. When I was a kid, my mom would often say that it’s not what you say, but how you say it. In this article, the hope is to revisit not what we watch, but the way we watch series.
Why Do We Binge Watch Content?
A good place to start is to ask ourselves when we are most likely to binge watch series. Often, it is at the end of a long day or after a stressful situation, whether in the workplace or at home. For most people, watching series is a way to relax, to escape, or to be distracted. The problem is, while this may seem harmless, bingeing often leaves us feeling more tired, numb, and despondent than before.
1. The Desire for Escape
Hours of watching a series may reveal to us that we’re running away from what’s troubling us.
In a world that causes stress and worry, presents overwhelming problems, or is simply rather mundane, binge watching offers us an escape. It’s tempting to rather spend time in the exciting lives of interesting characters or mindlessly laugh at a cheesy sitcom than deal with the realities of living in a fallen world. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and a host of other platforms offer us alternate worlds. They provide us with fantasies and colourful adventures that transport us to different times and places, away from our mundane or overwhelming reality.
The problem is that at the end of the third or fourth episode, we are brought back to earth. There the stress is still present; the problems remain unresolved; and tension is still in the air. An episode of a good show can be a lovely break in your day. But hours upon hours of mindlessly watching a series may reveal to us that we’re running away from what’s troubling us.
2. Our Need for Rest
Perhaps escape or distraction is not your reason for bingeing. For most people, after a long day, bingeing series is a way of relaxing. It’s a time of resting. It’s no secret that life has become incredibly fast-paced. When you ask most people how their week has been, they will respond that it has been busy. And in an attempt to rest, relax, or switch off, we turn to an evening of series. But ask yourself the question: how often do you stand up after hours of binge watching and feel energised or well-rested?
In an attempt to switch off we turn to an evening of series.
For most of us, bingeing has the exact opposite effect. It leaves us feeling even more tired, anxious, and restless than we were before. Why? Because we are unintentionally asking a series to do for us what it never could; to satisfy our weary souls and bring us true rest.
3. It’s a Normal Thing to Do
Perhaps for some, however, it’s just not that deep. Many people today fall into bingeing because it’s been sold as a completely normal way to consume entertainment. On most streaming platforms, there is always another episode waiting to be watched. In fact, streaming services bank on viewers spending more time watching series, getting hooked on the need to keep watching. So bingeing has become the normal way to enjoy your favourite series. Supposedly, everyone does it. As Christians, however, we shouldn’t just thoughtlessly adopt and be comfortable with the habit, because it’s accepted as normal around us.
Get True Rest and Contentment
In this fallen world, we are tempted to find rest, fulfilment, and comfort in things that can never satisfy. Sadly, binge watching has simply become another distraction on a long list that leaves us worse for wear. As humans we need rest and we crave peace. But the only place we will ever find it is in the Lord Jesus. Jesus himself calls us. All who labour and are heavy-laden are called to find rest for their souls in him (Matthew 11:28-30).
As humans we need rest and we crave peace.
Jesus is our prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). He cares deeply and calls us to cast all our cares and anxieties on him (1 Peter 5:7). When the world gets loud, and our days cause deep sighs and sleepless nights, we are to run to the one who isn’t only able to give rest, but who promises to take our burdens on himself. So Philippians 4:6 exhorts us to make our requests known to the Lord, through prayer and supplication. But then Philippians 4:7 makes us a promise: that God’s peace—which surpasses all understanding—will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Timothy Keller once said that idolatry “means turning a good thing into an ultimate thing.” And when it comes to binge watching this rings very true. Movies, series, music, photography, and other forms of media and entertainment are often good things. There are countless films and shows that move us to tears, offer stories of hope and love, or bring laughter. And these are to be enjoyed. They’re good gifts from our God. But when they become ultimate—taking up hours of our days, becoming a fortress in difficult times, or sought out for rest—we need to rethink the way we enjoy them.
Renew Your Minds Daily
For all of us, we need our thinking and patterns to be transformed. This doesn’t simply happen by willing ourselves to be better. In order for us to have the mind shift that we need—seeking Christ in all things—we need the help of the Holy Spirit. Romans 12:2 is a wonderful reminder that we are not to be conformed to the ways of this world. We are called to live differently; to set our minds on things above (Colossians 3:1-2).
It is through the bingeing of the scriptures—so to speak—that the Holy Spirit renews our minds.
But we don’t live differently through trying harder. Paul writes that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. It is through the bingeing of the scriptures—so to speak—that the Holy Spirit renews and transforms our minds. And as our minds are renewed, we are able to discern God’s will, what is good and acceptable and perfect. We are to pray and ask God for this renewal of our minds. But we are also fill our minds with that which is good, meditating on the Word of God that is sweet as honey and good for our souls (Psalm 119:103-104).
Enjoy the Gifts Without Expecting Too Much
Enjoy the good gifts that God has given us. Listen to good music, watch good films, and laugh through your favourite show. But let us not binge these things, asking a series to do what it never can; to satisfy our soul’s longing for rest and peace. Only our Lord Jesus can do this. For, as a great church father once said: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
