Redeeming the Podcast

 

Can you get too much of a good thing? How do we define what’s good?

There is a pile of books that have been recommended for me to read and a list of podcasts or webinars that others think would be very helpful. There are also unopened emails with what promise to be fascinating articles, some educating whoever will read it on the evils before us and some explaining evils we have come out of.

There are verses that make one think about what we are doing as Christians with all of the information at our fingertips: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17).

But, with an abundance (or over-abundance) of books and podcasts, how do we wisely decide what to read and how much time to spend on it all?

Surely, both books and podcasts have value in helping us stay up with current events and even deepening our knowledge and understanding of the Word of God (if we are comparing them with scripture and not being led astray by teachings that are not doctrinally sound).

Content is not all we have to consider but also how much time we’re spending reading and listening. Are other responsibilities being done well (or at all)? One meme shows a Victorian era woman saying, “Just because I know I could get a lot more done if I didn’t read as much doesn’t mean I have any intention of ever trying it.”

Is that a Christian attitude? Are our works (responsibilities) and our knowledge both important?

My observation of the feminist mindset is that the biblical expectations of a woman to be her husband’s helpmate and her children’s nurturer have been lost. Memes like the one just mentioned are plenty, encouraging women to think only of themselves and “follow their hearts” with how they spend their time. This is another attack on the family, pulling a wife and mother to what is now considered the more important thing; personal happiness.

Women need to be biblically educated and able to discern good and evil, especially if they are rearing children. As noted before, we have plenty of resources at our fingertips so that education does not need to be a formal one. Reading and podcasts can teach us a lot if we are discerning about what we read and who we listen to.

Theology, health, academic resources, etc. — we need them all and they are worthy of some of our time.

But, it brings us back to the original question about how much time. Is it more justified time if it is non-fiction than if it were fiction? Even if the theology is sound or the information is correct, can we spend too much time taking in all of this information and knowledge and not enough time on more practical things like work, housework, or  relationships?

As for defining what is good, that takes us back to Ephesians 5:17, Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” It may be different for you than it is for me based on our current life circumstances but, for both of  us, the Bible needs to be the basis for our understanding of His will for us and how we spend our time.