As I sit here, a struggle is waging on my heart. There is a TV show that I absolutely love but I know I shouldn't watch it. It is called Pretty Little Liars. The reason I shouldn't watch it is because it does not bring me closer to Christ but only draws me away. The show stands for so many things I don't agree with in real life (betrayal, lying, murder, abuse, gossip, etc.). Often I think I can watch a show, disagree with the message of it, but still enjoy it. Wrong. I thought I could watch and not allow it to affect me negatively. Wrong. Most of the time I would watch and not agree with the message, but still be left with feeling bad about myself because I don't look like the girls on the show. Also, even though I didn't agree with the message of the show, just by watching it, I am inadvertently supporting it.
A few weeks ago, I decided I would no longer watch this show. At the time the decision seemed easy because the show wasn't on air yet. (The 4th season began last night). Then last night hit and I was reminded that the show was starting up again and I thought 'I could watch and not being negatively affected'. But the verse Luke 14:33 kept coming to mind - In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
I tried to justify that verse by looking up other versions which talk about 'everything' being possessions 'EXCELLENT' I thought. If it talks about possessions then I can watch! But then this came to mind:
Matthew 16:24 - Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Well, what is denying myself? It's giving up things I WANT in order to serve Jesus. Sometimes things are easy to give up for Jesus and other times it is more difficult. When I choose to give up things of this world that I want in order to serve Jesus, I am denying myself. If giving up everything was easy, it wouldn't be hard to deny myself.
It amazes me when I meet people who have freely given up the things of this world. I really struggle with this! Sometimes I want to buy more stuff and not give to the poor. Sometimes I want to watch a TV show or movie that has a message that goes against Jesus' message. Sometimes I want to be lazy and not work hard. Sometimes I want to judge people and think of myself as better than them. Thankfully, despite my downfalls, I am forgiven, and the Holy Spirit helps me to deny myself. It is a process that will always be in motion, but I want to get to a point when I can deny myself more each day!
Please consider Jesus' words above. They are strong words. You can't be half-hearted. You're in or you're out.
Julie I can totally relate to what you have written here. We might think we are not being negatively affected but I also realized spending time watching some of the rubbish I watch is like taking an empty vessel and filling it with rubbish. I came across this scripture in Matthew 12:
ReplyDelete‘When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting-place, but it finds none. Then it says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” When it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So will it be also with this evil generation.’
My question: Is your house empty? Or is it filled with healthy, evil-displacing fare? What good is it to have a clean, orderly house with lots of cool labour saving devices and artsy fartsy STUFF that moths can eat and rust can take away from you if that house is EMPTY of that which will displace the presence of evil?
I don't think evil is an ancient concept, now obsolete. It exists today in corruption, greed, scapegoating, fear, malice, insecurity, injustice, our lack of doing anything about injustice, apathy, basic human needs unmet around the world every single day, basic human needs unmet in your own home, in your neighbour's home every single day - needs like the need for love, compassion, kindness, generosity, patience and the gift of time. Needs like the need to know and be intimate with some divine, however you might understand that divine.
Filling the swept out empty house with empty things will not displace those spaces which evil seeks to occupy.