There is a lot of trash out there on TV and the radio these days. I can remember flipping through the channels one time and I came across a show where a teen girl was meeting her friends at a café and boasting to them about how she lost her virginity to her boyfriend. Needless to say, I quickly turned the channel, but that one little scene got me thinking.
I started to wonder if Christian teens should be taking in any secular media at all.
The Bible says in Philippians 4:8 that,
“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.”
Satan enjoys taking something that is good and pure and twisting things around for his own evil gain. We have to be careful as Christians to not fall into his trap. Before we start watching or listening to any form of media, we need to dig down deep to make sure that what we expose ourselves to is not something that Satan intends to harm us with.
When it comes to secular media, there are a wide variety of things that we can listen to, watch, or read. Some are appropriate and some are not. They could range from watching your favorite team play baseball all the way down to the other end of the line by exposing ourselves to porn. It is important to keep in mind what your own moral values are, as well as the moral values of friends. If something crosses the moral line of you or a friend, don’t watch or listen to it!
In 1 Corinthians 10:32, Paul says, “Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God.”
The meaning of this verse to me, is that, if you do something that causes a friend to stumble in their walk with the Lord, then you both have sinned. This means that if you have a friend who is against watching the Hunger Games sequel and you make them go see the movie with you, then you have sinned by making your friend go against her convictions.
I don’t want to be that kind of friend, do you?
In deciding whether it’s ok to watch any form of secular media you need to….
Take it to the Lord in prayer and seek His direction and guidance.
Make sure it does not go against the wisdom found in Philippians 4:8.
Make sure you are not causing a Christian brother or sister to stumble by what you are exposing yourself to.
If you have taken these steps, and your heart is in the right place about it, I personally think it’s okay to have a moderate consumption of secular media. There are also some great TV shows out there that are clean and family friendly like, Duck Dynasty. There are also many bands out there that appeal to the Christian teen audience, like Superchick and Skillet. If you look hard enough and do some research you are bound to find something you like. The website, Plugged In, is a great place for both teens and parents to get Christian reviews on all the latest movies, music, and television shows.
Overall, we all need to be careful of what we see and listen to. Satan can plant the smallest things in our mind through secular media. That little seed can grow and fester into something huge, leaving us powerless to stop it without God’s help. Fortunately, God will help you if you happen to be stuck in the pull of secular media, all you have to do is get on your knees and ask.
Are you easily drawn to inappropriate secular media? What helps you to turn away from things that could be harmful and stay on the path God wants you on?
Written By Emily Miller
