I
was gathered with some friends, when the topic of our culture came up.
Relating to people. The importance of knowing pop culture to relate to others.
This
is one of the issues my husband and I differ on, too. For me, this does not
settle well. When God called me out of my life of sin, the majority of pop
culture went with it. Music and movies and books and celebrities and their
gossip. I have a hard time getting involved in it. It is so void and being
caught up in it offers only null returns.
This was a conviction that God showed me and perhaps you cannot resonate with it all. That is okay, too. I am not here to judge; just to be obedient with what God wants me to share.
I
have bad lyrics creep in at inappropriate times, and I have to find new ones to
overcome them - I do not need to know more. And more importantly, I do not want
the lips of my children to be singing them. Why fill their heads with words that
are going to return void? I pray that you would not have to have this struggle
or pass that down to your children.
And
watching movies that promote premarital sex and drugs and violence. I am a
visual person. The images and quotes get stuck in my memory and I can repeat
the lines of inappropriate scenes as it is. I pray that you would be filled with
the love of Christ and his word, not the world's.
As
I listened to Hosanna by Hillsong, these lyrics really resonated with me. Have
a listen.
I see his love and mercy washing over all our sin the
people sing Hosanna Hosanna in the highest. I see a generation rising up to take their place with selfless faith.
I
pray that this generation would not be so caught up in the media that the love
of God is drown out by it. That their songs would be those of
praise to God, not to the world. That their thoughts would be pure and embedded
with mercy and love.
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be self - controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:14
We have been called to be holy. To
live lives that are different from the world. Not to conform but to love. They
will know we are Christians by our love, anyone (John 13:35)?
Not all music and movies are degrading
and inappropriate but a lot of them are. Unrealistic expectations are engrained
and inapt comments are instilled in your memory to be used at just the right
time.
Our culture needs more knowledge of
scripture and biblical principles and less of the ability to quote the latest
movie or songs from the top 40.
Everyone has their own filters as to
what is acceptable but God calls us higher than our own thoughts and judgments.
To his thoughts and his likeness. To be holy like he is holy.
I
pray that when you stand in lines at check out and see the magazine covers with
celebrities and their shenanigans, that you would pray that they will find
Christ and ache for their mishaps and trials they are going through and for the
people who are writing the articles that are not composed of truth. It is a
sad, vicious cycle full of anger and malice. I pray you would not want to be a
part of it all.
I pray that the next time you push
the on button to the media, that you would think about what you are allowing in
to your memory and time and space. Is it going to build yourself up? Help
someone else? Praise God? Would you like your child and the God of the universe
to be sitting next to you on the couch with your viewing choice?
Here's to more God filters and less
media. More time spent dwelling on him alone.