How to Spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Gaming and Hobbies

Introduction

As a Christian, it can be difficult to navigate the world and culture around us that seems to be ever at odds with our values.

This disconnect between who we are called to be in Christ versus the simple hobbies and interests we participate in during our time on this earth can build a tension within our spirits. And if you're like me, that tension might occasionally have you questioning how to both walk boldly in your love of Christ and embrace your hobbies in a way that honors God.

If you're navigating this tension, you're not alone. But what if I told you that your hobbies could be exactly how God wants you to spread the gospel? With reports of over 3.32 billion active gamers in 2024 globally, the potential to reach others through gaming alone is at an all-time high.

Let's take a look at how we can boldly embrace our God-given interests and hobbies, whether that be gaming or something else, to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and fulfill the Great Commission laid out for us in Matthew 28:18-20.

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

One Body With Many Parts

Over the past few years, the Lord has surrounded me with a wide range of fellow believers coming from different backgrounds, career paths, and interests. Though we are all vastly different people, we've become a tightly-knit community through relationships built upon one thing - Jesus Christ.

These people have since become family to me, and as we've grown closer I've seen God leverage their unique gifts, talents, and interests to minister in a way that I never could. While one evangelizes to the tech world through their leadership and business acumen, others set new believers at ease by inviting them to participate in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

And this is exactly how God intended for the body of Christ to function.

Just have a look at what Paul has to say in 1 Corinthians 12:12:

"The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit."

Our having different interests and excelling in different areas is a part of God's plan to make it on earth as it is in Heaven.

So how do you practically use the unique attributes and characteristics that God instilled in you to fulfill the Great Commission? Let's have a look at what author Peter Scazzero has to say in his book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality:

"We are not called by God to die to the 'good' parts of who we are. God never asked us to die to the healthy desires and pleasures of life - to friendships, joy, art, music, beauty, recreation, laughter, and nature. God plants desires in our hearts so we will nurture and enjoy them. Often these desires and passions are invitations from God, gifts from him."

Peter Scazzero asserts that these "healthy desires" that we have to engage with the "good parts of who we are" should be embraced as a way to know God more deeply.

And as we come to know who we are in Christ more deeply, we will be more capable of wielding that to sharpen one another in ministry.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." - Proverbs 27:17

Submitting Everything (Including Hobbies) to Jesus

As God surrounded me with strong believers and built up my faith, the Holy Spirit convicted me in how much of myself I was putting into gaming as well as my other hobbies. The way I was approaching my interests was out of alignment with God's will and these things needed to be submitted to Him in prayer and fasting.

And having come through to the other side of this season of prayer and fasting with my unique interests being brought to the feet of Jesus, I understand what Peter Scazzero was talking about in Emotionally Healthy Spirituality when he states:

"God intends our deeper, truer self, which he created, to blossom as we follow him."

I interpret this as God wanting us to wholeheartedly embrace our unique, healthy interests, recognizing that these are gifts meant to be used to spread the gospel and make disciples of many nations.

Using Hobbies to Spread the Gospel

During my fast of video games, the Holy Spirit made clear to me that God had a plan for my love of gaming, but in order for that plan to be fulfilled, I needed to place more of my identity in being a son of God and co-inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven than in being a gamer.

Gaming, television, anime, Dungeons & Dragons - these are all hobbies, yes. But they can and should be used for so much more than that. These "good parts" of who you are can all be leveraged to connect with and minister to the world in a way that is unique to you.

In 1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul instructs the believers at Corinth on how to live out their lives

"whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

And while the context of this verse has more to do with Paul's assertion that "“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful," the core of the teaching comes down to how we can serve our neighbors - God's children - as a part of Christ's body with the unique gifts, experiences, passions, and hobbies we have been given.

"Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor." 1 Corinthians 10:24

The Journey to GamingGospel.com

When I entered high school, I learned to hide my love of geek culture. I was afraid that if the people I went to school with found out how much of a "nerd" I was - that I spent my free time playing JRPGs instead of sports - I would be outcast.

As I developed in my faith, I learned how to not walk in shame over being different from the people around me. I slowly came to understand why it is important to bring these same things that made me different to the feet of Jesus, submitting them under His care and direction to embrace my identity in Christ.

It took over fourteen years before I was finally able to embrace the powerful ministry tool God had given me through these same hobbies I was once both ashamed of an overly invested in. Something that was only possible because God surrounded me with bold Christ-like leaders that were already fully embracing their own unique gifts and roles within the body of Christ for the Kingdom.

GamingGospel.com is the result of this journey.

Final Thoughts

It's scary putting yourself out there and answering the unique call to ministry God has for you.

Candidly, embracing the unique passions and hobbies the Lord gave me as a way to spread His Good News is still a relatively new concept for me. I'm not a trained minister, nor am I a biblical scholar.

Heck, I'm learning as I go just like you.

I'm just some guy who loves gaming and other nerdy stuff, who loves Jesus Christ even more, and who wants to share that love with others for God's glorification.

I do not know exactly how this calling to use my love of geek culture for God's Kingdom will develop over time, but I am certain that so long as I bring this (along with everything else) to the feet of the Jesus Christ, He will honor it.

And He will do the same for you.

So if you're a gamer like me, start a Discord and share your love of gaming with the body of Christ.

If you're into Dungeons & Dragons, get a campaign going and discuss your love of Jesus with the table.

If you enjoy watching sitcoms, or football, or anime (or all of the above), throw watch parties and take every opportunity you get to plant seeds for the Kingdom of God.

And if you're passionate about something else? God can and will use that too.

"Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31