The BBC reports that on January 1 the government of China cut the amount of entertainment shows on Chinese TV from 126 down to just 38. The government said there was excessive amount of entertainment on TV and that they were guarding the nation against too much Western cultural influence.

Now, I think it is dangerous for governments to legislate how much entertainment its citizens can watch on TV, and I am proud to be an American. But this report did get me to thinking about TV and its effect on our spiritual lives.

Would my life be richer or poorer if I watched less TV in 2012?
The average American watches 4 hours of TV per day – or 28 hours per week. The impact of this goes beyond the fact that when we are watching TV we don’t have time to do things like play with our kids, read a book, pursue a hobby, serve another person or disciple someone else.
We also need to remember that when we are watching TV we are being instructed by the culture. We are absorbing a value system of what is right and wrong, what is normal, what is desirable. We are learning the music, topics of discussion for the day, and more. We are being discipled by the culture.
Wit that in mind, how might you use 28 extra hours per week? How might God use those hours in your life?