Purity in Media Part Two

Continued from Purity In Media PT1.

Written By Beloved By Him

When I was a teen, I was into horror novels. One scared me so badly, I had to put it out on my front porch because I couldn’t keep it in my house. I allowed books to fill my mind with page after page of polluted stories that contained ungodly characters, obscene language, demonic influences—stories written by a famous author whose books were turned into movies that I would then go see. (Movies that wouldn’t have made the first cut a few paragraphs ago.) For today’s teens, it’s no different, as books such as the Twilight series portray vampirism as a desirable alternative lifestyle, coupled with the lie that eternal life can be achieved by any means other than through Jesus Christ (check out this link to learn more: Twilight Blood-Soaked Romance). Books like these try to tug on our emotional strings and convince us that it’s possible to find love by embracing darkness, and that it’s okay to set our own standards of good, as long as there’s evil in the world that’s worse than us. This is a complete departure from the Bible, which contains page after page of incredible stories of God’s redemption of His people, as well as the greatest love story ever told: How Jesus Christ loved the world so much that He came to earth and died a horrific death to save us from our sins, then miraculously rose from the dead and was taken up into heaven, where He is waiting for His bride (His people) to spend an eternity in perfect bliss with us. Is there really any book (or magazine—remember how I started this article) that could compare to the written truth of God’s inspired Word? His words are living and active and bring us life when we read them (Heb. 4:12); can the other books in our personal libraries and backpacks do that? If they can’t, then they’re worth less than the paper they’re printed on.

Maybe, though, you don’t watch movies, or have time for TV, and you hate to read a long book. There’s something else that can bombard your brain, and when it does, it’s often literally a few inches from it—coming through your headphones. Music plays a huge part in the spectrum of our lives, from how we relax and have fun, to how we perceive ourselves and our circumstances. The kind of music we listen to tells a lot about where our “head” is, or what ideas we allow to shape our thoughts, and ultimately our behavior (Pr.23:7). A lot of hip hop contains lyrics that degrade women, encourage drinking, and promote violence and a gangster lifestyle. Rock and metal, whether from today or the last several decades, often contains references to sex, drugs, depression, or the occult. Even some country music, which often embraces the values of a good work ethic and a belief in God, can include the suggestion of drinking as a normal part of life to be practiced with regularity and enthusiasm. So am I suggesting that you erase the entire contents of your mp3 player? That depends on what’s on it. Probably not, but if we don’t want the world to tell us how we should be living, then we have to stop letting its music bang our mental drum and start walking to a different beat.

There’s one more place to visit on this virtual tour of your entertainment choices, and you’re already there. The computer is the gateway that gives us access to anything and everything this world can offer, and it needs to be guarded accordingly. One wrong turn, one bad decision, and we open the door to any variety of sins and their bondage. It’s not just the x-rated stuff, either; it’s also the overload of images and information that can be warped and driven into our minds, teaching us to accept, imitate, and assimilate into a society that doesn’t know God. It’s our responsibility to make sure that this doesn’t happen, by using godly wisdom to discern whether or not our entertainment choices are pleasing to Him. Proverbs 8:32-36 shows us the role wisdom should play in making these kinds of decisions:

“Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my (wisdom’s) ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gate, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord; but he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death.”

We need to listen to and watch those things that will bring us wisdom and life, and wait on the Lord to give us positive choices, instead of rushing headlong into the world’s web of lies and destructive influences. I know I want peaceful seeds of righteousness planted in my mind, not scary books lying in wait on my doorstep.
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