i've been really surrounded by sin lately. I cannot even articulate my own thoughts and feelings. I feel pressure from living out here in S.D. I feel like I cannot step out into the street and not be bombarded by sadness, sin and temptation. One of the most recent things that happened to me, is that my t.v. broke. Those of you who know me well, know that I own the original t.v. that I bought from selling the car my daddy bought for me, back in 1995. We bought the t.v. and dvd/vcr for a total of $400. I felt guilty then and wished I had never bought it.
I am so tempted by t.v...the whole lust side of it (sexual and material) and I can get sucked in SO quickly. You will not believe this, but when SEinfeld and Friends went off the air, a part of me died. Like I really felt sad. (As I'm typing right now, the police helicopter is circling, circling..eh-hem..stay focused LIs, stay focused) Others have often asked why we don't have t.v. and I go into this explanation that often feels proud and trite (is that a word?) So, here's my explanation and hopefully not CONDEMNATION for you, but encouragement as well. Now if I could only fit Bridges, Piper and some other guys in my pocket for quick reference and eloquence on other issues..I tend to mess things up.
“My wife and I don’t own a TV.” I was standing in a church parking lot after volunteer training for our local crisis pregnancy center talking with the director. Two other trainees that I had just met were also there, and I think we were all quite surprised at what was just a passing comment. But the Lord used that comment to begin to draw back the curtain of desensitization that had been clouding my eyes and blinding me from Truth. Now after 12 years of not owning a TV myself and not having stepped in a movie theatre since 1994, I see somewhat more clearly what secular entertainment was doing to 1)my testimony as a Christian, 2)my relationship with my husband, and most importantly, 3)my relationship with Jesus Christ.
First, my testimony as a Christian. The world expects us to be different. Many times our brothers and sisters in Christ will exclaim upon hearing about our entertainment convictions, “Oh, how do you expect to engage the culture?” From beginning to end of the Bible, God set apart His people to be a holy people, and my desire to be holy has never hindered my passion for people to know about my Precious Savior. I’ve found quite the opposite to be true; my non-believing friends are intrigued by what I have found that is so awesome that I don’t have an interest in television and movies. As John Piper often reminds us, “The reason that the world doesn’t ask us why we have the hope that we have is because we look as if we’re hoping in the same things they are.” We are also influencing other Christians by the choices we make. That CPC director influenced me to go “farther up and further in” with Jesus.
Secondly, my relationship with my husband. About five years into our marriage, I discovered my husband’s use of pornography, but it was not until the past few years that I was brought to my knees in pain and confusion over how long it would last. As I cried out to the Lord, He showed me in His Word how I had been a part of the sin by bringing things into our home that fueled the fire of lust. “I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” (Psalm 101:3) “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8) It is rare to find a secular movie in which the women are dressed modestly, and our husbands, as they fight an incredible battle against lust, should not be watching. (For an awesome series on modesty and a checklist to see if you’re dressing modestly yourself, read C.J. Mahaney’s recent blog posts
Lastly, my relationship with Jesus Christ. Oh, how I love You, Jesus!! How can I bring glory to You, Lord? Not longer after my meeting with the director of the CPC, my husband, John, and I participated in a Bible study on a book called “The Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry Bridges. Bridges challenges his reader to ask four questions when seeking to determine God’s will and develop convictions in areas that aren’t specifically mentioned in the Bible: 1)Is it helpful – physically, spiritually, and mentally? 1 Corinthians 6:12 2)Does it bring me under its power? 1 Corinthians 6:12 3)Does it hurt others? 1 Corinthians 8:13 4)Does it glorify God? 1 Corinthians 10:31 And John Piper has a list of questions in “Don’t Waste Your Life” to ask ourselves about possible behaviors: How will this help me treasure Christ? How will it help me know Christ or display Christ? How will it help me show that I do treasure Christ? How can I portray God as glorious in this action? How can I enjoy making much of him in this behavior?
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but the world.” (1 John 2:15-17) Again John Piper writes, “My parents almost never went to movies, and I almost never go to movies. The reason is very simple: there are almost no movies that don't ask me to be entertained by attitudes, motives, and actions which Jesus died to eradicate. My heart will not allow me to be entertained by worldliness.”
As Piper tells us we were created for far more than nights of watching television and movies, and there’s greater joy for us in spending time with neighbors, feeding the homeless, mentoring inner city kids, visiting those in prison, studying the Bible with our spouse, memorizing Scripture, counseling the brokenhearted….the list could go on and on! Oh, my heart’s desire is to show an unbelieving world that I treasure Christ, that He is glorious, that I enjoy Him and delight in Him! Please pray for me that it will be so in my life!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment