“The deadened soul requires a greater and greater level of stimulation to arouse it. This is, of course, the downward spiral of any addiction… Just look at the progression of television drama over the past thirty years. What we have now would have been considered shocking, even repulsive, to an earlier audience.”[1]
I recently heard that the average American spends 5 hours a day watching TV. That is just the average. That is practically a part-time job level of time, on its way to a full-time job. But the benefits of that career are not great. More and more there is content within TV shows that is not profitable for the formation of our souls. Even mentioning this can cause many to rise to the defense of their TV habits. To put it bluntly, I think we are deceived as a culture. It has become a kind of “opium for the masses,” squeezing out more profitable things, such as prayer, scripture reading, and service, which are far more conducive to producing God’s life in us.
This is an encouragement to examine your sources of input and your daily habits. This is not about legalism, criticism, or earning your way to God. This is about, a love for God, ordering your life in such a way that God’s best is produced in and through you.
Hebrews 12:21, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
This verse not only talks about stripping on sin, but “every weight” that slows us down and keeps us from running the race well. I pray the Lord will help us to take inventory of our lives with His understanding and wisdom guiding the process.
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[1] Eldredge, John. Desire: The Journey We Must Take To Find the Life God Offers. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2007