OPINION:
As Christians consuming secular entertainment, it’s helpful to remind ourselves of the apostle Paul’s words to the church in Rome: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2 ESV).
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It’s interesting that Paul talked about testing to determine what the will of God is. What does that testing process look like? How does it happen?
We’re told that the renewal of our minds — the knowledge and belief in God’s Word brought through salvation — helps us discern what is and isn’t good according to God’s holy standard. Paul explained this concept of renewal more fully in his letter to the church in Ephesus:
You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience — among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:1-10 (ESV)
As Christians, all of us once walked with the rest of the world “in the passions of our flesh.” We were “children of wrath” and death, like the rest of the world. But then God, through His grace, “made us alive together with Christ” and revealed His truth to us. It is our knowledge of God through His Word that helps us combat the false ideas that threaten to conform us to the world.
When such ideas appear on our television screens before the eyes of our impressionable children, we can’t ignore them. We must be prepared to talk about them. If necessary, we should pause the show and talk through the issues with our children, helping them see the errors in the ideas presented.
We must also help our children learn how to guard their hearts and discern the good from the bad. Just as we were once in need of (and sometimes still need) guidance through complex issues, so do our children. Ask your children what they think about the messages they receive from entertainment, and make a point to ask whether they agree — and why. Then discuss with them whether those messages are right or wrong and guide them toward an answer that accords with God’s truth.
We need to remind our children that God’s love for humanity necessarily implies that He would want to keep us safe from harm — even if we don’t understand how harmful something might be. Just as a child might not learn the danger of a hot stove until they touch it, we often don’t understand God’s warnings against certain things until we get hurt too. People will tell us that some things are okay to do even when God says that they aren’t okay. Although we may not understand why God is telling us that something is wrong, we can look back on how He has remained faithful in other aspects of our lives and trust that He is surely faithful in this part of it too.
Most importantly, while the television is paused and you’re discussing these things with your children, use this teaching moment to point back to the truth of the gospel: that God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to save us from our sins, including the sins in our entertainment. He did this by living a perfect life in accordance with God’s moral law and willfully dying on the cross in our place, taking our sins and the subsequent wrath of God upon Himself and providing for us His blameless righteousness. Then He rose from the dead, proving that He is Lord and that His promise of salvation is forever for all who repent and believe in this message.
This salvation renews our minds and helps us guard our hearts so we can discern what is “good and acceptable and perfect” not only in our entertainment but in all other aspects of life as well (Romans 12:2).
But fleeing from entertainment because there’s a risk of ungodly or dangerous content is not the point. My Plugged In colleagues and I have no qualms about enjoying entertainment; rather, we want to help families guard against the harmful messages it promotes. In fact, we would encourage enjoying a video game or movie with your family as a way to bond with them.
Movies, TV shows, and video games can be a great way for families to connect. I distinctly recall playing countless games of “Mario Kart: Double Dash!!” with my father and brothers while growing up, and I would sit down to watch the new “MythBusters” episode with my dad every Wednesday. I will cherish these memories for as long as I live. Movies also led naturally into amazing conversations about faith with my Dad — such as about Gandalf’s fight with the Balrog, his death, and his shining return from the dead in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy as a symbolic representation of Jesus Christ crushing the head of the serpent.
Try to think of entertainment as malleable. Yes, some entertainment is objectively bad, and consuming it can lead to some nasty habits. But it’s good to think of entertainment in general as a malleable thing. It can be used for good purposes and bad purposes. Consider the way Paul addresses food in 1 Corinthians 8: “Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow becoming a stumbling block to the weak” (verses 8-9 ESV). In the same way, consuming entertainment depends on you, on the context, and on the entertainment itself.
Your faith has an impact on your children, so as you consider entertainment choices as a family, help them learn what it means to bring glory to the Lord in all things — even in such simple choices. Help them learn how to guard their hearts, and teach them how to enjoy their favorite shows without being swept away in the persuasive messaging. Ask the Lord for guidance and discernment as a family so that the passions of this world won’t be able to compete or compare in any way with the shining glory of God’s truth.
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Adapted from “Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family: How to Navigate a Media-Saturated World—and Why We Should” by The Plugged In Staff. Copyright © 2024. Used by permission of Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.
Kennedy Unthank is a contributor to Focus on the Family’s Plugged In publication. He studied journalism at the University of Missouri. Kennedy knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He doesn’t think the ending of Lost was “that bad.” In partnership with the Plugged In Staff, his most recent book, “Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family,” releases on March 5, 2024.
The Plugged In Staff gives families essential tools to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live. Through reviews, articles, and discussions, they aim to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth, and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” Their most recent book, “Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family,” releases on March 5, 2024.
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