Lately, my excuse has been that I am a new mom and I deserve some lazy time. And part of that is true. I do deserve a little time to chillax (yes I said that). But I was watching a show the other day and felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit pour over me. I tried to ignore it, but reminders keep creeping up and so now I have to confront it.
I was watching The Mindy Project on Hulu and an episode came on where the main character, Mindy (Mindy Kaling), starts to date a Christian pastor. Up until this point, the show only had the "normal" amount of indecency - sleeping around, partying, foul language, etc. (you know, stuff we're all used to by now). Well, on this particular episode, she visits her new boyfriend at his church. Moby - yes, Moby - is the church D.J. - yes, a church D.J.. There's all this loud club music and then Mindy's boyfriend, Casey, appears in his pastoral attire. He thanks the "congregation" for the applause and then starts to rant about how Game of Thrones didn't record on his DVR. And then he says these awful words - "I hate God." He declared that he hated God because a TV show hadn't recorded on his DVR. Then he had the "congregation" chant, "I hate God! I hate God!" with him.
I sat there in total disbelief, but I kept watching. Several thoughts went through my brain:
1. I am totally clueless as to how people support the FOX Network simply because their news shows are "conservative". This is the network that produced Family Guy and The Simpsons, remember???
2. Please tell me this "pastor" is going to pull out some message about being a leader not a follower. (He did not; he instead told everyone that God loved them even though they hated Him.)
3. Should I be watching this?
4. Let's just see where it goes...
5. Okay, I am just going to ignore that part...
Anyway, I kept watching the show and eventually watched the rest of the season while these questions (and then some) ran through my brain.
So, needless to say, I've been convicted about television shows since watching that episode. Mostly, Blake and I stay away from sitcoms - not really for moral issues but just because we like certain reality shows better (Shark Tank, The Voice, shows on the History channel, etc.). But after watching The Mindy Project and a good part of Season 2 of New Girl, I am convinced/convicted that God has better plans for my time and energy than to watch shows that do not honor Him. I feel convicted enough that I kinda want to just walk away from TV altogether for just a little while to get my priorities back in line.
I've been thinking about what I can watch if I truly want to avoid shows that highlight sinful lifestyles. Basically, I'm left with certain reality shows and sports. Grrrrrreat. (Duck Dynasty anyone!?)
It's not that I think I should ignore the world. This is my home for now and I do believe that in order to reach the lost, I cannot just ignore sin. But I can't tolerate sin, either. I can't just look past it and be like everyone else. I have to approach it head-on and be willing to stand up for God's Word regardless of the repurcussions.
John 15:19, "If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of teh world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
God has set us, as Christians, apart from the world. We are not to conform to its ways (Romans 12:2) but to let God renew us so that we may live in the world yet differently from the world.
Anyway, this is just me rambling about something I'm currently dealing with. And I'm sure I am not alone in this and am curious to hear other people's takes on this subject. How do you judge what you watch and what you do not?
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