How does your faith in Jesus affect your entertainment choices? What principles guide you?
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fabi on August 12, 2009 at 11:57 pm
I simply ask myself if what am about to do will bring honor and glory to my Lord and Savior’s name. And I look up for the answer in quietness for I know that HE will speak to me.
marcia.arumugam on August 13, 2009 at 3:52 am
I always draw myself to listen to music with good messages for humanity purposes or gospel music with more messages to hear. To me, the message is important rather than rhythm.
As for movies, I am usually seeking educational or family oriented for the good of the soul and the whole family at home. There is much greater joy in laughing together as a family than to worry what scene might pop out next. As parents, we do the screening of course.
tmonique80 on August 13, 2009 at 9:04 am
For a long time, I didn’t think anything was wrong with listening to secular music. It wasn’t until I was in a valley experience and I needed more than just some “positive words,” I needed the Holy Spirit and His comfort. I was feeding my soul with junk that wasn’t glorifying God. It started to change me and my walk with God. I was listening to Christian music on occasion but not as often as secular music. So one day I decided to quit cold turkey and I haven’t gone back since then. Christian music builds me up and feeds my spirit man and gives me more opportunity to praise His name. I’m not saying that secular music wrong to listen to, but if you do listen to it, it’s best at moderation and you have to make sure it’s not profane or derogatory etc. and you’re balancing it with other spirit filling things. Music is a very powerful thing. as Lucifer headed the music department in heaven, he definitely uses it to distract us on earth.
Also, I try to watch things (movies, tv shows) that don’t have a lot of cussing, obscenity, etc. This area of discipline is harder for me because I love! love! love! movies of all kinds and television. I fast forward through a lot of stuff or just don’t support it. I try to look up the previews of movies before I go to the theater so I won’t get caught watching a lot of stuff I shouldn’t be watching. But honestly, this area still needs work for me.
sam on August 16, 2009 at 7:05 am
I share your concerns and try to remain vigilant about what passes for “entertainment nowadays. Admittedly, it’s tough, but God remains faithful to us and will always speak to us through the Spirit. We just need to listen and heed His voice.
mylostboy on August 13, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I never really thought that God, really played a part in my entertainment choices. That was until I went to see the movie “Drag me to hell”. I lasted 10 minutes before my friend and I asked ourselves, why are we watching this? It doesnt glorify, in any way. So now I realize that through reading the word, slowly but surley changes are taking place in me.
elisau on August 15, 2009 at 7:37 pm
I agree with what’s being said here. Once the Holy Spirit comes into your life He changes you. Things that once seemed fine are no longer ok. Each person’s spirtual journey is different, but the more you allow God to guide you the more you will see purification taking place in your own life.
Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
msroby on August 16, 2009 at 11:05 am
How does your faith in Jesus affect my entertainment choices? What principles guide me?
I watched the movie “Time Changers.” A movie I think every Christian should watch. It shows the difference between the years of Christians without our technology vs. the loss of Christian behavior in our world today. There was one thing that needed to be left the same or changed in this movie and what it took for the person who had to make the decision to make that change went through in order to make the change. See the movie for yourself in order to fully understand what I am saying here.
You have to ask yourself; How did we get from a Christian world of strong beliefs to a time when it seems like Christ is being taken out of every aspect of our lives now. It was by one thing at a time not being done in a Christian manner that grew on to growing into a many more lives and then another time when something was let go of and it moved on through the lives and so on.
Most of the changes are sutle and don’t seem to be such a big deal at the time until we all look back now and wonder what happened.
I can remember after I found Jesus going to find out how my family in past generation lost the Christian ways of past and found that it went so far back that I may never know. There are only two Christians in my generations for the past 50 years.
I did not get to grow up in a Christian based back ground and then get to make the decision when I was an adult. I had to start my life all over after losing everything and I mean everything except for my life.
When you find entertainment that you decide is not Christian in one way or another, you shut it out of your life (maybe, not always) but how many of us pray for that type of industry and the many lives that are apart of it. We could pray in general for these types of things, but what if it’s to be a little more deeper than that?
Don’t we have to be around or know what it is that we are to pray for and why? Don’t we have to know who?
How many find themselves with say a movie on TV and find out it isn’t what we believe we should be watching, but here it is and it was placed before us at this moment. How many close their eyes and pray for every character in the movie. What would happen in the lives of those people should every Christian pray for those in that movie when they find themselves with this before them? How many change the channel and never think of those lost lives in that movie again?
Is that who Jesus came to save or not? Your decision tells you the answer to that question. So many would rather change the channel then to pray for those who need it more than probably most all the people you pray for. These are the lost and the ones who need you the most.
Close your eyes and pray for each one of those involved in these bad entertainment choices, as it is written to deal with what God has put right in front of you at every moment of every day. Changing the channel is walking away.
I pray that’s what I do in these situations. And believe it or not, I have seen actors who now will only do Christian type roles and have changed their lives to a better way, so I believe it is the rightous thing to do.
God did not put us here to be entertained 24/7 but for those who follow Him to do His will and follow and do what He would do.
I think if Jesus was watching a movie that showed so much sin in it, that he would pray for those in need and not have to be in direct contact with those persons to do it. I think He could do it with prayer.
If nothing happens by mistake, then it might be more of how we look at things and the decisions of what to do about it that lead us away from what the righteous thing to do would be because it makes us uncomfortable, not a traditional type practice, not what you want to do at the time, or we just can’t see how we can help. Whatever it is, it’s a missed opportunity for each of us that only change the channel.
It’s not just about movies I know, but this applies to any entertainment that is available today.
It’s just the way I understand it.
Stop, Think [about what Jesus would do and ask Him in prayer] and then Pray.
Dixie on August 17, 2009 at 6:42 am
Thank you msroby for sharing. There are times in my home that the other family members in my house put on inappropriate humor and movies with inappropriate themes in them. I state my cause, but at times to no avail, unfortunately, because many times my husband is watching the same stuff. It becomes frustrating to me, and inside i find myself getting very angry because I cannot change this situation. Thank you for reminding me to pray. Pray that my families heart will change at that moment and turn off the offensive stuff, pray that the Holy Spirit would direct my words instead of me lashing out or complaining, pray for the people who find denegrading themselves as being humorous. The list is endless, the prayer needs are endless. I will remember this the next time. It is difficult though at times, to watch a movie that is actually good, but have to deal with incidents of inappropriateness. There I must confess myself, I become lenient. It is frustrating to compromise and then expect my family to turn off the blatant offensive stuff. Maybe prayer needs to be directed toward film makers that do produce good movies, but find it necessary to put the junk in them.
Dixie
Leewardside on August 18, 2009 at 10:13 pm
My heart burns in me when something comes on that is offensive. I have 3 semi grown children and a husband. No horror shows are allowed in the house at all is my rule. We shut off cable 2 months ago because there were over 900 channels to choose from. I have tried to tell the family that shows with no depth or moral isn’t very good anyway, like films with overt adultery storylines, etc.When I rent, I try to get interesting films and my kids almost always get interested in them and wonder how I found them.
There have been too many times that an adventure film(usually) has tracked through my head so many times after it was over, I vowed I would never go to another show. So, I am adament to my husband and children about what I won’t go see and they have to make their own choices.
My son just turned 17 and in the past we have always discussed the film we had just viewed, especially if it had some parts that were controversial. I will continue this.
I have come to the place where my entertainment is the birth of a new day, the birds singing and contemplating with God and how much joy he has given back to me. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me…
evelyn on August 19, 2009 at 1:29 am
when by myself, i usually try to listen, watch and read stuff that would edify, encourage and build me up. it’s not always possible when we’re with others as we need to respect their choices too. depending on the entertainment selected, i sometimes chose not to participate.