I was hanging out with a friend last night before finally heading home. We were just chilling at his crib surfing DSTV channels. We finally settled on something that looked interesting and we got talking in general. Lo and behold, as is usually the case with most movies out there today, clothes started getting pulled of and things started getting steamy on screen. My friend was in for a bit of a surprise because I immediately picked up the remote control and changed to ESPN, a channel where I'm sure no everyone likes to stay dressed. Naturally, he wondered why I did such a thing and I simply replied, "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart" 2 Tim 2:22. Now that, was a real shocker for him because the JouDeLZ he knew before would never have said such a thing. What changed? That should be pretty obvious. GOD found me a while back and He's been teaching me a lot of lessons since then.
A lot of people, including me, stumble over entertainment choices. Hollywood/Nollywood seems determined to "disciple" our generation with its own moral stances, attitudes, and opinions. However, most of these things contradict what God would have for us. We must learn to make wise choices about entertainment or we will be vulnerable. I am sure some people will read this blog and become defensive. Some will be waiting for me to give them a list of things they cannot watch or listen to so they can disagree and decide to ignore the rest of the write up. Well. I'm sorry to disappoint but that is not my mission here. I will not be writing any lists. I simply believe that there are principles that should be applied to our entertainment choices.
My opinion is not what's important here. The only opinion that counts is God's opinion. If we say that we want to be holy and sanctified (set apart for God's use) then we must be careful what we ingest into our lives. The Bible does not at any point speak out against movies or entertainment in general but there are several spiritual principles that apply.
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Prov 4:23
"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." Colossians 2:8
Entertainment today is filled with things that can destroy a Christian's resolve and convictions. It is only wise for us to know our personal weaknesses and avoid overdoses of certain things. Movies with sexual content, negative and cynical views of God, violence and anger, occult movies should make us cringe with disgust. We should ask ourselves these questions:
- Have the entertainment choices I've made in the past helped to shape my philosophies on life?
- Have I been influenced in a positive or negative way?
- Do changes need to take place in this area of my life if I am going to walk closely with God?
0 comments:
Post a Comment