Are the words we listen to in music honoring to the Lord? Is what we watch acceptable in His sight? Are the words we read in a book or magazine causing us to think upon good things? Joshua Harris was challenging the congregation and whoever else was listening (like me) to really think about these issues and to answer these questions honestly and accurately.
As he was ending his message, he read a portion of a letter written by John Wesley's mom to young Wesley himself while he was away at college. However, backing up just a bit, John Wesley had first written his mother, asking for her advice and for some insight on what he should do and not do in certain situations. He basically wanted her to give him a list of what would be wrong for him to do and what would then be right when it came to certain issues. Instead of writing out a grocery list of what he can and cannot do, she gave him this great nugget of wisdom:
"Whatever weakens your reason, whatever impairs the tenderness of your conscious, whatever obscures your sense of God, whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind, whatever takes away your zeal for spiritual things, that to you is sin, no matter how innocent to you it is...it is sin."
Wow, that is some great advice, huh?! So often we either succumb to the seemingly trivial things that in the long run may cause us more harm than good, and we become blinded to the fact that sin often takes root in the smallest areas of life. Do not go against your God-given conscious whatever the issue! If what you are listening to is causing you to continually think upon things that are not pure and right, then listen to different music! If what you are watching is leading you to dwell upon that which is unrighteous and unholy, then you should turn it off! If what you read is creating mental pictures and images in your mind that are leading you to think upon that which is not good, then close the book!
I remember one afternoon when I was driving in my car, and I was listening to the music station I almost always turn on, when a couple thoughts came suddenly into my head. "Could I pray to the Lord right now while these songs were playing in the background? Would I honestly be able to worship Him right there and then while I was listening to that music?" I realized then, after I asked myself those questions, that I could NOT honestly start praying to the Lord and feel good about it while I was listening to that station. Maybe that was a good indicator that I should not be listening to that particular station as much as I was or maybe I should not be listening to that kind of music at all!
I remember one afternoon when I was driving in my car, and I was listening to the music station I almost always turn on, when a couple thoughts came suddenly into my head. "Could I pray to the Lord right now while these songs were playing in the background? Would I honestly be able to worship Him right there and then while I was listening to that music?" I realized then, after I asked myself those questions, that I could NOT honestly start praying to the Lord and feel good about it while I was listening to that station. Maybe that was a good indicator that I should not be listening to that particular station as much as I was or maybe I should not be listening to that kind of music at all!
I am not sharing this with you in order to gloat or to make it sound like I am all wise and good (which I am NOT), but I mentioned this in order to challenge YOU to really think about what it is you listen to, what it is you spend your time watching, and what it is you choose to read. I know that I have often had the mentality of, "oh it's okay, it's not THAT bad," or, "I like it and it makes me feel good, and its not like it's downright wicked," when it comes to certain subjects. Is that really a good way of thinking?! Is that even an accurate way of thinking through things?
As the Lord has graciously shown me through the pages of scripture, we are not to have this "accepting view" of what is wicked and not good, even if it does seem trivial and somewhat insignificant. As Philippians 4:8 states, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Are you honoring the Lord with what you listen to, what you watch, and what you read?! Don't take it lightly, really think about it?! Are you striving to please the Lord in EVERYTHING that you do?!
As Mrs. Wesley wrote to her son, "whatever weakens your reason, whatever impairs the tenderness of your conscience, whatever obscures your sense of God...whatever takes away your zeal for spiritual things...that to you is sin."
Thanks for reading, friends!
As the Lord has graciously shown me through the pages of scripture, we are not to have this "accepting view" of what is wicked and not good, even if it does seem trivial and somewhat insignificant. As Philippians 4:8 states, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Are you honoring the Lord with what you listen to, what you watch, and what you read?! Don't take it lightly, really think about it?! Are you striving to please the Lord in EVERYTHING that you do?!
As Mrs. Wesley wrote to her son, "whatever weakens your reason, whatever impairs the tenderness of your conscience, whatever obscures your sense of God...whatever takes away your zeal for spiritual things...that to you is sin."
Thanks for reading, friends!
~Grow in Grace~
2 Peter 3:18
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