Dinosaur fights and the king's food

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.  –Daniel 1:8 (NIV)
 
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah maintained their identity as sons of the Most High in a culture that was mostly indifferent, and frequently hostile, toward their God and their devotion to Him. How did they accomplish this? They cultivated healthy and holy habits, they stuck together, and they resolved not to partake in dalliances, some of which we might consider minor, that threatened to compromise their character. The king’s food, though sumptuous, was not on their menu, and they knew it.
 
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.  –Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
 
My grandson loves dinosaurs. A few weeks ago, he was over to visit and asked to watch “fighting dino movies”. Searching online, I located some fairly realistic-looking CGI short films depicting what things might have looked like when these giant reptiles were around. I queued them up and my grandson informed me that my selections were “too scary”. Then he clarified his request: He only wanted toy dinosaurs.
 
Remarkably, there is an entire genre of film-making that consists of adult humans staging dioramas wherein plastic toy dinosaurs act out scripted plays. They interact, stalk one another, and yes, fight. This is not even stop-action; you can see the hands of the people moving the toys through the scenes, accompanied by dramatic music, sound effects, and dialogue. My grandson LOVES these things. A little too much, as it turns out.
 
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  –Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
 
Within a few minutes of watching, his eyes began to glaze over. He was unable to tear himself away long enough to eat dinner. A little longer and he became hostile at the idea of turning them off at all. The speed of this progression was both fascinating and terrifying. Of course, my grandson is two. He has adults in his life whose responsibility it is to monitor and ration his exposure to such input.
 
Despite his protests, we turned off the program and engaged in more interactive play. And his parents have, wisely I think, virtually eliminated this form of entertainment from his visual diet until further notice. It isn’t that the videos are evil or inappropriate. It’s just that they’re useless. Time-wasting and mindless, yet somehow mesmerizing to a little boy his age.
 
So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.  –Ecclesiastes 8:15 (NLT)
 
What about a man my age? What is my equivalent of fighting dinosaurs – guilty pleasures that occupy far too much of my time and attention? Are mine as innocuous as those of my grandson? Or do I dabble in snacking on the king’s food, enjoying distractions of my culture that would slowly but surely deaden my soul and steal parts of my heart away from God?
 
I’m not suggesting that every moment needs to be serious and studious and straitlaced. We need diversions and laughter to recharge our batteries. I’m convinced such things are a gift from God. But we also need to be aware of where we allow our minds to go, and how long we allow them to stay there. Things like moderation, intentionality, and guardrails serve us well.
 
And we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  –2 Corinthians 10:5b (NIV)