I grew up in North Carolina. I’m an East Coast kid at heart and grew up going to the beach usually a couple times a year.
I like to stand on the edge of the water where the waves would come up to my ankles and then retreat back out. When that would happen, the sand beneath me would go with the water and I would gradually sink. Wave after wave would come & after a few minutes my feet were buried.
If I wanted to stay above the sand, I would have to keep moving.
Standing still I sank.
Due to the sexualized nature and moral standard of the world around us, our society is much the same way. If we stand still spiritually, we will sink. We must be actively and regularly working to become more like Jesus in order to grow.
Think back to Walker from yesterday . . .
I’m not saying that we have to be constantly listening to worship music and nonstop preaching podcasts. In fact, I think such is not realistic and you eventually mentally tune out and it becomes white noise.
But, a regular part of our life needs to focus on ‘helpful’ not just ‘lawful’.
And when I say regular, I mean more than daily.
And this is particularly true for someone seeking to shake loose the chains of sexualized sin addiction & the grip of pornography.
You need to remain mindful of your actions & behavior throughout your day & institute rhythm that consistently draws your thoughts to Jesus.
Is it okay to also work in wholesome entertainment? ABSOLUTELY!!!
(I highly recommend Walker, Texas Ranger for this.)
But be aware of the entertainment industry nowadays. They specialize not just in integrating sexual themes, but also how to get you to waste your time. They are good at drawing you in and next thing you know, you’ve wasted hours on something that in some ways had a neutral effect on your life, and in many other ways had a negative effect on your life.
In verse 13 of 1 Corinthians 6, Paul talks about how food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food. He is likely speaking to a debate on certain dietary restrictions that was taking place within the early church. But, the larger point stands that all the things of this world are temporary and as Christians, we need to zoom out our thinking and focus on the eternal (remember the story of Satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness? – day 9).
Thoughts to Journal/Pray:
- What things tend to suck you in & waste your time?
- How can you avoid those things moving forward?
- What are the triggers that draw you to those things?
Reading: