Has Television Done This? - Strom

[Eli Brayley]

HAS TELEVISION Done THIS??
-Andrew Strom

According to A.C. Nielsen, in a 65-year life the average American
will have spent 9 years glued to the TV. Now think about that for a
minute. Nine years of their life spent - doing what? Achieving what?
Can we imagine in our wildest dreams that this is what God wants
for us?

Statistics also tell us that on average, parents only spend 3 - 5
minutes per week in meaningful conversation with their children.
And yet the average child watches television for 1,680 minutes
per week. So who is raising these children? Parents or the TV?
Who is molding their minds, values, and attitudes? Why do so
many Christian children rebel and turn from God in their teen
years? Is there a connection?

We all know that a household of godly LOVE balanced with loving
DISCIPLINE is the ideal for bringing up children. But I want to put
it to you that HOURS OF INFLUENCE also make a huge difference.
I once wrote an article pointing out the two biggest factors in this:
TV and SCHOOL. In other words, TV hours and Peer pressure.
These 2 things alone have the power to change your child's life.
And many times they are ripping them away from God. In that
article I recommended getting rid of TV and also starting to Home-
school. Many thought I was too radical. But we have seen it work
big-time. And we learnt the hard way.

What do children do when they have no TV? They read books, they
create things, they play with others. And they grow up without that
awful worldly cynicism and rebellion in their eyes. And of course
there are always DVDs if we want them to watch something.

We just had another minor "storm" on our Facebook page over
this quote from Leonard Ravenhill - "If you want your child to go to
hell, buy him a T.V. all for himself and (it'll) destroy him!"

There were quite a few reactions - both for and against - so we are
going to discuss this on our website too. Here were a few of the
comments from people:-

David - "I agree... my husband and I have been without TV for about
2 months and we have seen God more clearly than ever working
in and through us. No more TV for us!!"

Mishael - "I am soooo anti-video games and t.v. We just got rid of
our t.v. in September. I hated it at first but am finally used to it!
Now when I watch t.v. at friends' houses, I am shocked at what I
see because I'm not desensitized to it anymore."

Austin - "I like what Paul Washer says about T.V. Men don't do
great things by watching other men do nothing."

Sandi - "In this modern day of technology, we can also include the
internet and our cell phones too. These modern day conveniences
can really preoccupy us, and take us away from Bible study and prayer."

Marilena - "I agree to this, except that I only bought a TV for my
daughter so I can show her Christian DVDs on it and some cartoons
that are carefully selected by me... TV is a means of feeding things
into your heart... what seeds do you want in there? They will grow."

Mark - "I'm not supporting TV but I'm also not supporting laws to
live by... If you have a problem with watching unclean things on TV
or the internet or doing anything unclean, making laws to control it
is not the answer. Something is wrong inside you. Laws are for the
unrighteous..."

Judah - "It wasn't until I got the TV idol out of my life that I
started experiencing personal revival and hearing the call of God
to Street Preach."

Sally - "Even many (or should I say "most") of the so-called
Christian programs are eroneous, hypocritical, and/or phony.
According to God's word, we are to set no unclean thing before us.
Is this law? or is this wisdom?... If you think TV is fine, I challenge
you to try turning it off for just a week or a month and see if
anything changes. If nothing else to prove to yourself that it's just
a harmless box."

Marilena - "It is not a matter of a law, but it is a matter of what's
profitable and what is destructive."

[4him]

Amen, thanks for sharing this Eli ! T.V. and also the internet can have the power to leave us distracted; both our attention and affections can be divided. I have found that when God has called me to fasting, sometimes this has been a fasting from the internet, so my focus can be on Him alone. Praise God for how he uses these silent times, to speak into our lives; those things we are needing to hear. Sometimes I think about the verse, "Unite my heart to fear your name". I'm not sure if I am interpreting it correctly, but I think of the uniting of the heart as representing a heart that is focussed on God. It's the opposite of a heart that is pulled in every direction, distracted by many competing interests. Also, another strategy of Satan , if he can't get our mind exposed to filth (eg on TV) is for us to spend time involved in good things, but not the 'best things'- things that will bring the most glory to God. May we have a holy passion for that which is closest to the heart of God.

In Jesus,
John

[Eli Brayley]

Amen, John. I like your thoughts on uniting the heart. May God give us that undivided heart that is longs for Him alone.