Christian Vegetation and the TV Set

We live in a “veg out” society. We work very hard, and there are times when we just want to sit in front of the TV set and mindlessly flip through channels for a few minutes. At other times, we just want to have the tube on and watch a TV show that doesn’t make us think.

Let me say at the outset of this post, that I am not saying that doing this is always wrong. We need to rest, and some people find that just having the TV on is a good way to let their brain wind down from a hard day.

However, I want to challenge us all in one way when it comes to vegging out. It comes from the “greatest command.” Here is the challenging question: What am I putting in front of my eyes and does it show that I love the Lord with all my mind? Far too often, we will sit and watch just about anything “just because it’s on.” To say it bluntly: that’s how Satan wants you to handle your downtime.

The devil doesn’t want your mind, so much as he doesn’t want your mind on. <Tweet This>

Think of the world in which we live. Think of how many of us gain information. Think of how visual our world has become. Now–stay with me–think of how often we prayerfully evaluate what we see and watch.

We have become a people who thinks with our eyes instead of through our eyes! William Blake, the British poet and writer of the late 1700s and early 1800s said it very well:

This life’s dim windows of the soul

Distorts the heavens from pole to pole

And leads you to believe a lie

When you see with, not through, the eye.

Ravi Zacharias summarizes this in a few powerful words: “We now learn to listen with our eyes and think with our feelings.”

Do you see that around you? Do you see that in you?

Think of the shows you watch. Are there characters that live immoral lives, maybe through adultery or homosexuality? Are there themes of violence or vice that serve as a backdrop to the program? Is Christianity respected or used as a joke?

But then, think about our reason for having these shows on. “I’m not really thinking about it, so it doesn’t affect me.” Or, “It’s just a show. It’s all for entertainment.”

Did you notice a missing reason?

I’m watching this and God would be proud of me for doing so.

Why don’t we use that reason? Why don’t we evaluate what we see through the filter of Scripture first, then through a discerning and thinking mind. Of course, we do not have to just watch sermons each time the TV set is on, but if we are going to honor our Lord in all we do, we need to be viewing things where godly morality and respect are involved.

And, yes, I’ll say it: that means a vast majority of modern TV programs should not be viewed by Christians.

• Just one recent episode of Breaking Bad contained some 11 different curse words (many used multiple times), and the name of our Lord Jesus was taken in vain six different times. [Source]
• The pilot episode of Under the Dome included a lesbian mother, a nude-from-behind woman, and at least 22 curse words, in addition to taking God’s name in vain. [Source]

These are just two examples and trust me when I say I’m not “picking on” these shows. I chose them at random because I have seen and heard many Christians talk about watching them and I wanted to see what they were about. As much as my family loves, for example, The Cosby Show, there are episodes we do not watch, and other scenes we skip.

But here is the struggle: far too often we just use the excuse, “I’m not really thinking about it. It’s just on.” That’s just not good enough for God’s people. Our minds are able to pick up on what we are watching, if it we claim it is “mindless.” We must be discerning and thinking, not just taking in anything that happens to be on the tube. If we are not filtering TV programs through the lens of God’s Word first and foremost, what are we letting have an effect on our thoughts and emotions? What messages–no matter how subtle–are we allowing to creep into our thinking?

Veg out. Relax. Turn on the TV.

But compare what you are seeing with God’s holiness, and view prayerfully.

QUESTION: What are some tips for TV viewing with a discerning mind?

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Photo credit: Iain Watson on Creative Commons

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