Media in the Life of a Christian...Part 2 (Movies - Part 1)

They are everywhere! 

Movies, movies, movies! 

You can rent them from the Redbox. 

You can rent them online and watch it within minutes from Netflix.

You can rent them from iTunes and watch it on any Apple device.

You can rent them from the Blockbuster Kiosk.

You can see full length movies on YouTube with the click of a link or by typing in the correct title. 

Wal-mart sells them. K-mart sells them.  Grocery stores sell them.  Discount stores sell them.  Drug stores sell them.

You have all types of movies:

- Cartoons

- Animated (there is a difference)

- Drama

- Romance

- Action

- Violence

- Comedy

- Family

- Kids

The list goes on forever.  You can pick your favorite genre and find millions of films at your fingertips. 

There is not a town (or city) that doesn't promote movies.  If there is, could you please share that information with me?  I would love to research that. 

You can watch them on iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets, iPods, Galaxy series phones, and the list goes on and on.  All of these devices allow you be on the go and still have the ability to watch your favorite movies.  Movies are EVERYWHERE!!!

Drugs, sex, cursing, fighting, killing, immoral acts .... all of these you can find on a movie.  Think about these following scenarios for a moment:

... If you walked into your house and 2 people were on your living room couch doing inappropriate sexual acts, would you just sit there are watch them?
... You're in your office or room trying to get some quiet time.  You hear a noise downstairs or in another part of the house, so you go to check it out.  You find 2 people in your living room cursing at one another.  Would you go grab a bag of chips and stand there and enjoy it?

This is exactly what we, as Christians, are doing every time we watch an inappropriate movie in our home.  We are allowing sinful acts/scenes (that we wouldn't allow to actually happen in real life in our home) to be projected into our minds.  Also, we are saying (with our actions), that we approve of that action/scene.  This thought right here, is what changed mine and my wife's mindset about movies. 

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 (KJV)

14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

By ourselves we cannot decide what media (movies) are okay to watch.  We have to allow God's Spirit to lead us and guide us with all of our media intake. 

I will be the first one to admit to you that sitting down and watching a movie with action and drama is very entertaining.  My humanity loves to do that.   All of us, in our humanity, like media (movies).  But we have to allow God's Spirit to guide us.  What does He approve of?

We must stop and reallly think about what we are allowing ourselves to get trapped into. 

Check this out:

Luke 6:45 (KJV)

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

This scripture is not talking about the actual heart organ.  This scripture is referring to the very things that mean the most to us.  The things that we charish so much in life; those are the things of the heart.  So, the very acts/scenes we allow into our eyes and ears, are typically what we begin to look and talk like. 

The following scripture is proof that being around ungodly, sinful acts can mess you up:

2 Peter 2:7-8 (NKJV)

7  and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked

8  (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)

Lot was a righteous man.  He knew what he should be and should not be doing.  But, he became exposed to ungodly "scenes".  He heard things.  He saw things that began to "oppress" or torment his soul.  His wife got caught up in it.  His daughters were caught up in it. 

The same thing happens with us when we allow ourselves to be exposed to ungodly scenes and acts.  It may not effect you right away, but it will eventually. 

You may think you have good balance, but why do you get angry now all of sudden when you didn't used to do that?

You may think that watching stuff doesn't hinder you, but why are you now hanging out with the very people you said you never would be around?

What goes in, must come out.  (I will be talking about this in my next blog on media)

Movies are not something that show immediate negative results.  It is gradual.  It happens slowly.  It's start with innocent movies that have one inappropriate scene.  Then it grows a little more, and more and ......  Then all of sudden you begin to watch anything and everything. 

How do I know? Because I did it and I saw the effect it had on my relationship with God and my family.  My attitude changed.  My body language changed.  My lifestyle changed.

It's hard to pray in the same atmosphere that you just watched an ungodly movie in the night before.  Our relationship with God HAS to matter to us. 

This is only a challenge.  This is not to condemn anyone or any lifestyle.  This is to help all of us to think about our media choices. 

Think about it. 

God bless.