When gaming gets in the way

 Let’s imagine we’re sitting across from each other.

We’re sitting at your kitchen table. You’ve got your coffee (cream, two sugars, right?), and I’ve got mine black, because that’s how you drink it when you’re trying to sound like you’ve got life figured out.

You sigh and say, “I just wish he’d put as much energy into school as he does into that game.”

I nod. I get it.

It feels like gaming is stealing hours that could’ve gone to homework, chores, or maybe even sunlight.

But before we start fantasizing about pulling the plug and hiding the console behind the Christmas decorations in the farthest realms of the attic, let’s take a breath. Maybe, just maybe, God is doing something through all that screen time.

Let’s be honest: gaming can absolutely eat time like a kid with a Costco-sized bag of Doritos. It’s not uncommon to see “just one more match” turn into “why is the sun coming up?”

Hang on a sec. Let's not get ahead of ourselves and yeet all the gaming consoles just yet. Because here’s the thing: time displacement isn’t the same as time wasted.

In fact, Ephesians 5:15–16 reminds us to “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.”

That doesn’t just apply to devotions and chores. It applies to everything, including gaming. The key isn’t whether gaming happens, but how it’s used.

What if, hidden inside those virtual worlds, your kid is learning real-world skills that God can use for His purposes?

Let’s unpack what’s really going on when your player is “just playing.”

Let’s start with teamwork and communication. Ever listened to a team coordinate a win in Valorant? It’s like watching a well-oiled team where everyone is calling plays, supporting each other, sharing resources. That’s Ephesians 4:16 in action: “The whole body, joined and held together… grows and builds itself up in love.” Even if it’s through a headset.

Then there’s perseverance under pressure. Every “Game Over” is a chance to try again. Romans 5:3–4 says, “We rejoice in our sufferings, because suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Your gamer lives that out every time they respawn, rethink, and retry. It’s basically sanctification with better graphics.

Also consider strategic thinking and stewardship. Whether they’re managing Minecoins in Minecraft or resources in Civilization, they’re practicing stewardship and learning to plan ahead, prioritize, and make wise choices with what they’ve been given. (Luke 16:10, anyone? “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.”)

Don’t forget leadership and calling. Some kids naturally take on leadership roles in games by organizing, guiding, motivating, just like their counterparts do on the basketball court and soccer field. That’s God-given potential being shaped, whether they realize it or not. Think of David: he didn’t start out leading armies. He started by protecting sheep and, honestly, gaming might just be the modern version of learning courage with a controller instead of a sling.

You take another sip and say, "But you can’t put ‘Fortnite Champion’ on a résumé…”

Maybe not (unless your kid’s really good). But Proverbs 22:29 says, “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings.”

Skill — any skill — honed with discipline, creativity, and perseverance can become part of God’s plan. Whether your child becomes a programmer, designer, pastor, teacher, or yes, even a professional gamer, God can use that journey. Think Tim Tebow but with Madden NFL.

Now, of course, balance matters. Even manna was given daily, not all at once.

Gaming should fit within a life that includes study, rest, worship, and community. It’s part of our role as parents not to crush their passions, but to guide those passions toward purpose.

So maybe the question to ask yourself isn’t “How do I stop gaming from interfering?” but “How can we help gaming fit into God’s bigger story?”

Ask your kid what they’re learning. Play alongside them. Talk about how teamwork, patience, or even losing gracefully connects with faith and character. 

Yep. Play with them, even if your last “game” was Oregon Trail in 1993.

And who knows? Maybe through those games, God is shaping a future missionary, leader, or innovator and one that just happens to know how to quick-scope and build at lightning speed.

The bottom line is this: Gaming doesn’t have to be the enemy of education or calling. It can be one of God’s unexpected classrooms, a place where patience, perseverance, strategy, and humility are taught in ways no textbook can quite match.

So next time you see your kid gaming, don’t just see pixels.See potential. See a story God’s still writing, one level at a time.

And as we finish this cup of coffee, maybe we can agree on this: If God can use a shepherd boy, a fisherman, or even a tax collector…He can definitely use a gamer, too.

Make the connection:

Ask your player to teach you a game you have never played. While playing, watch how they communicate, strategize, or bounce back after failure. When the game’s over, take five minutes to ask two questions: 1) “What did you learn from that?” and 2) “Where else could that skill show up in life?”

Connecting gamers • Building communities • Creating champions