Over the last few years, I have gotten hooked on a few tv shows. Some of them witty, some full of drama, and some very realistic... there are a few that I hesitate to admit that I watch.
I talked with my "boss" this week a lot about television and the progression of entertainment throughout the centuries. Civilians and royalty alike used to crowd into amphitheaters to watch lions tear apart and devour criminals (or, God forbid, the innocent). They would grunt, cheer, and applaud when two men would fight to the death. It was absolutely barbaric.
Fast forward hundreds years and turn on a television. Today's shows may not focus on that same kind of physical violence, but surely it is the same theme. Instead of watching people's bodies be devoured, we watch their minds and their souls decaying, being eaten away, by the drama, the sex, the drugs, the lies, and the worldliness. Yet our minds are hooked and we are entertained.
This kind of barbarism is perfectly acceptable in today's society, but should it be okay? As a Christian, I should be guarding my eyes and my mind from these things, the very things for which Christ died. I know that sounds a little cliche (and we all know how much I hate cliches...), but it reigns true. Why do I choose to watch something that I know will pollute my mind? Why do I put these inappropriate jokes in my vocabulary ("That's what she said," anyone?)?
While I am not ready (nor do I think it necessary) to give up tv completely, the thought of watching other people's souls decay is not appetizing. Reconsider the shows that you watch, the themes in those shows - what is the message they communicate? Is it something wholesome, godly, and true? If not, give a second thought to your motive for watching it.
I will be struggling through the same thing over the coming weeks. Wish me well...
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