Integrity at Home
I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;
I will not set before my eyes
anything that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me. Psalm 101:2-3
I admit it. Last night, I watched one of my favorite TV shows, even though it had a sub-plot that bristled my beliefs. I have to ask myself why I did that? How much do I set before my eyes that is worthless?
In our visual orientated world of technology we absorb so much in a day, much subconsciously. How easy is it to watch a TV show that subtly slips in immorality, alternative lifestyles, casual sex, drugs, violence, selfishness – and that’s the good guys!
I’m not saying we should be mentally productive 24/7, or be constantly reading our Bibles when we are not doing anything else. Vegging out is necessary now and then. But, we need to be careful what enters into our eyes, ears and brains – and into the eyes, ears and brains of our family. And, we need to remember this — Integrity is what you do when no one else is around to watch you. Even though our pastor or fellow church members are not there on our couch when we choose our type of entertainment, God is. How often do we walk with integrity of heart within our houses? Last night, I didn’t.
We must be willing to click off a show, even in the middle of a plot, if it begins to project something that is not Biblically sound. Is finding out “who done it” so important that you or I can put up with a flavoring of sin and think it doesn’t affect us?
My mother used to say that idleness is the devil’s playground. Today with TV, internet, IPads and MP3, more than ever we need to be wary of what is being “fed” to us in the process of entertaining us. And, I think we need to be more vocal when something offensive is slipped in. We should write to the TV producers and game makers to tell them our views and objections to the material they produce. Otherwise, how will they know?
Question -What have you watched in the past 24 hours that maybe you shouldn’t have?
