MB #091: Modern men are dying in their recliners...

Read Time: ~5 Minutes

Yesterday, as I worked on house projects with the distant roar of Super Bowl celebrations echoing through neighborhoods, a sobering reality hit me. Across America, nearly 100+ million of us – predominantly men – sat captivated by pixels on screens, living vicariously through others' battles while our own adventures lay dormant. Research from the University of Michigan shows the average American man now spends 35 hours weekly consuming entertainment media – that's nearly a full workweek watching others live.

Genesis 1:28 records God's first command to mankind: to subdue the earth and have dominion over it. The Hebrew word for "subdue" (kabash) implies conflict, resistance, and the necessity of overcoming opposition. Yet here we are, subduing nothing more threatening than a bag of chips while watching others compete.

This isn't mere entertainment – it's an anesthetic. Studies from Harvard's Psychology department reveal that excessive spectator behavior correlates with decreased personal goal achievement and lower life satisfaction. We're medicating our deep hunger for purpose with high-definition distractions.

The warrior spirit God instilled in us isn't dead – it's been sedated. We feel it stirring when we watch others overcome challenges, score touchdowns, or achieve greatness. But that stirring should be a wake-up call, not just another feeling to suppress with more entertainment.

Psychology Today reports that 76% of men admit to living below their potential, carrying persistent guilt about unfulfilled responsibilities and abandoned dreams. The personal development industry, now worth $11.6 billion annually, thrives on this gap between who we are and who we're called to be.

Practical Next Steps:

1. Conduct a Time Audit: Track your entertainment consumption for one week. Compare those hours against time invested in personal growth, family leadership, and meaningful challenges.

2. Identify Your Battle: What specific area of life is God calling you to "subdue"? Whether it's launching that business, rebuilding that relationship, or conquering that addiction – name your mountain.

3. Create Friction: Intentionally put yourself in situations requiring courage and perseverance. Start with something manageable like a 5:30 AM workout commitment or a challenging service project at church.

4. Find Your Fellowship: Research shows men who meet regularly with other growth-minded individuals are 7x more likely to achieve their goals. Form or join a group of men committed to living purposefully.

Our culture offers endless opportunities for passive consumption, but God designed us for active engagement. The same energy we invest in analyzing player statistics and game strategies could revolutionize our families, careers, and communities if redirected toward real battles.

This isn't about abandoning leisure entirely – it's about honest assessment. Are we using entertainment to rest and recharge, or to hide from the adventures God is calling us toward? Are we subduing the earth as commanded, or being subdued by our screens?

The world desperately needs men who've awakened from their entertainment-induced slumber. Men who've traded spectatorship for leadership, comfort for purpose, and passive consumption for active engagement in God's kingdom work.

What battle is God calling you to fight? What territory has He commanded you to subdue? The answer to these questions might be uncomfortable, but they're the beginning of the adventure you were created for.

The choice is yours: Will you continue watching others live their story, or start living yours?

That’s it for this week. Until next time…

Train hard. Pray harder.

-Chris

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