Love Has a Name

In the days of ol’, way back when, there were food laws. The Jewish people were told not to eat this, or that, and with little reason or knowledge of why exactly, besides of course, “God said so!” There were ritualistic reasons, health & hygiene reasons (which we only know now) and as a way to distinguish the people of God from the pagans of the time.

At that time, that was good enough for them. If God said no, then it meant no. If God said yes, then it meant yes. Unfortunately, as the world continues to decay and wander, often times sprint, away from Jesus, God’s word & instruction seems not to be enough. “That old religion is archaic and not relevant” some say. Yet, I hope and believe through this blog, this view is slowing being chipped away at as that “old Bible book” continues to prove itself timeless and true time and time again.

What and how we consume things of this world has not simply shifted. It has changed radically over the past 2000 years. Previously it literally meant to eat food and drink water. Yet, nowadays we consume much more. Here is a non-exhaustive list:

* News
* Movies
* Food & Drink
* Music
* Political Information
* Books
* Church Services & Sermons
* Social Media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat etc.)
* Drugs & Alcohol
* Sex (Online Dating & Pornography)
* Violence in movies and TV is considered acceptable & profitable

The list goes on and on. As you review the list you might think, “oh but the news isn’t inherently bad”, or “I only want to keep up to date on current political events, I’m a global citizen.” Sure, these can seem like a good reason yet perhaps it is a justification.

Matthew 6:22 shares some, once again, timeless wisdom.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

What does this really mean though? Does it mean I can’t watch the news or a movie? Can I not have a drink ever or scroll through Instagram on my free time?

The answer is both yes and no. We must ask ourselves, “will this make me spiritually healthy or spiritually sick?” or “what exactly am I viewing?” Are you on Instagram comparing yourself to strangers? Viewing tempting images or endlessly swiping on Facebook waiting for another cute cat video?

Study after study after study have revealed that screen time and social media use (and honestly social media addiction) are increasingly devastating our societies in relation to emotion and mental health. Teen and young adult mental health is degrading rapidly and studies have continued to show that since smartphones and social media exploded this emotional and mental health decline has rapidly increased.

In seeking the answer, be prepared. It may not be as clear as we want and most likely will it be the answer WE want.

Here is a bit of a conversation I had recently between myself (Z) and a good friend of mine (G) about consuming political information (one of many things I have been convicted to re-evaluate my consumption of):

G: I had to ask myself if I should be watching YouTube videos and politics and that stuff.
Z: Why not? I’m a global citizen I like to be informed so that I can better minister to unbelievers.
G: Yea, but politics for example, it isn’t going to save anyone. People are always looking to government to be saved from this or that. (Disasters etc.)
Z: Hmm, yea, you’re right. Left or right, Democratic or Republican, neither party is the saviour. I suppose as a Christian I could ask someone, “why do you need to know what I would say politically? My saviour is Jesus. He is the only one who can save you, me or a nation. Government isn’t God nor will it save your soul.”

I am happy to discuss politics, news, current events, movies and anything under the sun. However, my question will always be, “why does that matter?” or “to what end?”

My friend then asked me:
G: Where does that response come from?
Z: Well, being honest, I don’t want to stop watching political videos. I enjoy them, but realistically I don’t gain anything from them that I cannot get from knowing Jesus more intimately. I cannot better minister to anyone from knowing how they view politics. The ministering is in the why someone believes anyway.

This is where my conviction bashed me over the head and the Holy Spirit has since deepened it.

I can easily justify watching movies with violence, or just a bit of sexual content… but why? Why do I feel the need to be constantly entertained? What is it providing for me?

I have had similar conversations like this in the past. I have heard and given many reasonable and logical reasons, if I’m being honest they are most excuses as to why I am able to consume a violent movie, YouTube clips on political content, drinks and food that I want and even social media. Even reading and writing Blogs can be harmful if not done carefully and with a pure heart and clear intention.

So what is the point of all this then? I ask you, and even more-so myself, is what I am consuming lovely, praiseworthy, noble, excellent, pure, right, admirable? Is it true? (Philippians 4:8)

As Jesus said 2000 years ago, what we take in (consume) is either good or evil. We can allow our insides, our soul, to be poisoned by nonsensical, pointless and destructive things or we can view good, true, noble and pure things. How do we use our freewill?

One will lead to a life and soul that is upright, centered on Jesus and desiring God, the other will focus our attention away from the Lord and quite literally poison our soul.

I will now, hopefully not as an excuse, end with a caveat. Everything has a limit and each of us must be led by our convictions of the Holy Spirit. Can you watch political information? Yes, but why? Can you relax and watch a movie? Yes, but must it have violence and sex and drugs? Can you have a beer and watch the sunset? Of course, assuming alcohol is not a problem for you.

To sum it up, pray. Pray. Pray. And then pray again for good measure.

Seek the Lord for what you consume and how you consume it. As briefly seen in my conversation above I have been convicted of what my eyes and ears consume and I am currently chewing it and wrestling with Jesus pertaining to it.

The old adage rings true in this time, “you are what you eat” yet I say, in the spirit of Matthew 6:22 you are “what you consume, watch, see, listen to, participate in, surround yourself with, accept and agree with.”