Does It Pass The Philippians Test?

Finally, brothers and sisters, 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 (NIV)

Whatever we watch on TV, the music we listen to, the books we read, the people we listen to--such things affect us emotionally and mentally and also affect our spirit.

I try to be an optimist when I see a promising new TV series or movie that looks interesting and give it the benefit of the doubt that it will be something worth watching. Yet my optimism is rewarded less and less over time as society and its artists and writers sink deeper and deeper into the muck.

It is hard to believe now but there was a time when nearly every television show and no few movies we imbued with Christian ethics. Parents seldom worried about what their children ingested on television, or what music they were listening to, or about the books they were reading.

We live in a different time now and for the Christian it is even more critical that we guard our hearts and do not grieve the Holy Spirit by what we consume and allow into our lives.

There are some of us who are more sensitive than others, and we need to make allowances for that. We will not always agree on what is acceptable in every case. Yet we can see patterns and clear offenders that we would not let our children watch or be involved in, and in many of those cases neither should we partake of such entertainment.

Why does this matter so much? Because we are all affected by what we consume regarding art and entertainment and by other things we allow into our lives. Those of us with health issues and or mental and emotional problems must be even more cautious about troubling our soul with the vulgar and filthy garbage this world throws our way. We need good, positive, healthy entertainment that feeds our soul and spirit to strengthen and better our overall condition. We need to be surrounded by good things and good people who make us better, and not worse.

“You are what you eat” has been a popular saying, and it applies very much to what you feed into your soul and spirit. If you are diligent and discerning you can still find things that have some value in art and entertainment, but it has never been more difficult to wade through the filth, dig through the garbage and find the few treasures that remain.

It is easy to get caught up into the flow and to want to join in the conversations about the newest television series or movie, but now more than ever we need to guard our hearts and minds and avoid getting caught up into the worthless and useless things society throws our way. Think on good things. Focus on the positive, and your soul will thank you for it.

Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive us for not being more diligent and discerning and for the times we have grieved the Spirit. Make us wise and strong to resist the filth that surrounds us. Amen.

Karlton Douglas

Copyright 2017