Seek the Lord; yes, seek his strength And seek his face untiringly. 1 Chronicles 16:11
Thrillers, rom-com, action/adventure – whatever the genre preference, movie recommendations have long been sought. But in the last few years, binge-worthy TV series have become a more common request. Since the pandemic of 2020, the simplicity of streaming has created a garden of couch potatoes across the world.
Down time has always called for “vegging” but with what are we filling our minds? One popular series featured a hero serial killer. Twisted, right? This character was hailed for serving the justice we all crave. He was also largely embraced for displaying emotions a true serial killer would never be capable of possessing. But we love the lie. Another show, seemingly innocent, featured fairytale characters living as ordinary people in an ordinary town. In order for the evil queen to succeed in her plot for control, she needed the entire kingdom to forget their true identities. And the key to casting this “forgetting spell”, was to kill the thing you love the most.
“Veggies” aren’t always healthy if the diet includes lies, deception, and murder. As the saying goes, “Garbage in, garbage out.” This is explained in the Oxford Reference to mean “poor quality input will always produce faulty output.” That’s not just scientific, it’s biblical, “for as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” God sees the inner man, no matter how gracious the outward appearance. That’s why what we feast on matters. Behaviors begin as thoughts, so the best way to possess a pure heart (from which the issues of life flow) is to continually fill it with The Word: “Seek the Lord; yes, seek his strength And seek his face untiringly.” (1 Chron. 16:11)
Everybody needs a break, and rest is refreshing. It’s why God gave us the sabbath! But that day was meant for devotion to God. True stillness and satiation come from the Savior, not shutting off the brain with mindless, albeit entertaining, distractions. “Follow your heart” is faulty advice because the heart is full of evil! (see Matt. 7:21-22 for a list of examples). As Spurgeon sums it up: “the source from which these rivers of pollution proceed is the natural heart of man. Sin is not a splash of mud upon man’s exterior, it is a filth generated within himself.” So, how can one overcome the flesh? Follow God’s heart! The only way to do that is to know Him and that starts with prayer; He made streaming so accessible by His Spirit, who leads in all truth.
“Po-tay-to, po-tah-to” – no matter how you say it, it means the same thing, and you don’t want to be that. We were created for so much more! It’s time we get off the couch and plant ourselves in The Word, so God’s garden of Good News germinates the globe.
SHINE, always
Cheryl