Editor’s Note: This is an edited transcript from a youth sermon excerpt. Watch the excerpt here. Watch the full sermon here.
Be careful during your winter break. There are dangers that will approach you during these 2-3 weeks. That’s a lot of time at home. That’s a lot of time to be bored. That’s a lot of time to be idle.
You have been going 500 miles per hour the last couple of weeks, and all of sudden you’re going to have so much time on your hands. The Devil will want to capitalize on that.
Here are three dangers to be aware of as you continue in your winter break.
1. Laziness
You have been working hard. It’s not wrong to take a break to rest. It’s not wrong to play video games, watch a movie, sleep in, read a book for fun, or just do nothing. But there’s a limit to that. You should not live a slothful lifestyle.
You shouldn’t be waking up at 2:00 P.M., going to the fridge, going back to your room, shutting yourself in, and ignoring everyone in your life. That’s not the way Christ has called us to be. It can be so easy to just lie in bed and scroll on your phone mindlessly, checking your social media feeds. Before you know it, it’s been two hours, and you’re watching your 1000th TikTok video.
Be careful of how you use your time. You were made for more. Take a break but don’t go crazy. Don’t go overboard.
Spend time with your family. Recommit your life to God. Get back on track with devotions. Take a walk around the neighborhood. Do something to serve other people. Be careful of laziness on Christmas break. Pray that God would deliver you from temptation.
2. Lust
With all of the free time, you may be tempted to give in and take pleasure in things you shouldn’t be looking at — like lustful images and videos. It was reported that when COVID first hit, with everyone back at home, pornography spiked in usage. People were bored and they had to find something to get themselves out of their boredom.
You might find yourself alone at night or you might find yourself up at 4:00 A. M. You might find yourself isolated in your own room away from your family because your house is big. And you might be tempted to turn to lust and find pleasure in pornographic images or videos.
I want to warn you: that’s going to come for you. The temptation is always present, but with Christmas break, don’t be surprised if it amplifies tenfold. Ask God to deliver you from temptation.
3. Loneliness
Let me be clear: loneliness is not necessarily a sin. Adam was “alone” before the Fall (Genesis 2:18). But my question is: How do you cope with your loneliness? Do you snack all day to make yourself feel better? Do you get envious of other people who have better lives on social media, or look down on others who seem to have less exciting lives? Do you spiral out of control in your own mind? How will you deal with loneliness?
Be prepared for this during your break. You’re going to have a lot of time, and because of COVID-19, you can’t even see people in person. So be careful when loneliness sets in. FaceTime somebody. Eat a meal with your parents. Pray to God. Drink deeply from His Word. And ask God, ultimately, to deliver you from this situation where you might be tempted to sin in order to self-medicate your loneliness. Pray that God will lead you out of temptation.
Now, you may find that you have already fallen into some of these temptations during winter break. Don’t lose heart. Run to the foot of the cross to experience the forgiveness of Christ for your sins and the power of Christ to live in new ways. May you use the remainder of your winter break for His glory in your work, rest, & worship.