Empty Entertainment

Here is a passage that convicted me from Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Several women from our church are getting together every other week to discuss and study this book together. This book is good because it repeatedly references the Word, directing us to study it in it's context.

We entertain ourselves with reading material, movies, TV programs, and music that reflect worldly philosophies and legitimize profanity, immodesty, and immoral behavior, never stopping to contemplate that in so doing . . .

• we are desensitizing our conscience and developing a tolerance for sin;
• we are increasing our appetite for sin and diminishing our hunger for holiness;
• we are erecting a barrier in our fellowship with God;
• we are programming our minds to think the world's way (and how we think will ultimately determine how we live);
• we are increasing the likelihood that we will actually act out the things we are seeing and hearing;
• we are developing an unbiblical view of sexuality that may ultimately rob us of our virginity or destroy our marriage;
• we are increasing the likelihood that our children and grandchildren will become profane and immoral. (pp. 94-95)

We don't watch TV and we cancelled our cable several months ago because we did watch it. :-) I would sensor the things I watched and had a total distaste for the profane and immoral things. But I found that watching other programs would leave me feeling more discontent. For example, after watching "10 Years Younger" or "What Not to Wear" I feel very motivated to go out and get a new wardrobe, some liposuction and electrolysis. Then I would get further frustrated because I can't spend any money on new clothes, etc.

But, if I spend more time in God's Word (exactly the place I need to spend as much time as possible), I am encouraged to be content with what I have, no matter how little or how much material blessings God has given. These programs, as "safe" as they may seem, diminish Kingdom values and perspectives. I still battle the flesh over discontentment, but at least by remaining attached to the Vine, who is Christ, I have more than enough ammunition.