Consider your children’s first taste of real excitement. Maybe it was a first wild ride on a swing or later a roller coaster. First,”weeeeeee” explodes from his lips. Then comes, “I want to do that again!!!” 

Excitement comes in other packages as well. Video games are designed to be highly addicting and some movies can provide near-real thrills. 

Now consider his first exposure to the Word of God when he was old enough to understand it. Did he respond similarly to the roller coaster? Of course not. 

Face it! The world offers excitement and pleasure beyond imagination. Compare that to “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:24-25). In sales, we would call that a very hard sell. If it wasn’t for the Spirit’s involvement, who could be saved and follow Christ? 

Therefore, considering the opposition, the more thrills you introduce them to and give them an appetite for, which grows into a passion, might you be aiding the enemy? Is his short-term pleasure worth the long-term consequences? 

I’ve been amazed at the number of young men who have no interest in meaningful work due to their passion for dopamine-providing endeavors. We all know dads who continue to fuel their physical passions of one sort or another while neglecting their Lord, His Word, and their families. Very, very sad.