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.
Philippians 4:7-9 (NIV)
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I have a confession to make: I LOVE reality TV. I could give you a million reasons why but the truth is it simply fascinates me to watch a train wreck of a relationship unfold right before my eyes. In some strange way, it makes me and my minuscule problems feel better.
A few months ago I could say I was a bonafide Bravo TV addict. Top Chef, any Real Housewives series, Millionaire Matchmaker, The Rachel Zoe, Flipping Out...I mean, these people know entertainment! With witty comments, fabulous lives, shocking revelations and bizarre outcomes, what was not to get hooked on?
But as I watched, often as I cleaned the kitchen after a meal, I began to feel something different.
Guilty.
Shocked.
Saddened.
Angry.
Sick.
With every episode I began to feel our society getting a bit ...meaner. More aggressive. Do you know what I mean, girlfriend? Does it make your heart sad too? Sad to see this behavior in young girls on TV but devastated for all involved when it is the parents acting out with all the ugliness captured...on camera. In front of little eyes. Inquiring minds. Millions of viewers.
When did we begin applauding bad behavior? Why is it ever OK to chastise "weakness" that presents itself in the form of turning the other cheek? Can someone tell me how we got here? Is this the sort of selfish, self-centered world we want to turn over to our children?
OK, so I am not judging because the fact is, I bought into this for a while. A while? Ok, much too long. But lately? Lately my heart hurts to see it. I feel God's quiet voice telling me to turn it off. Fill my time and my thoughts with something different.
Can we turn away together, girls? What if we ask, no, demand that our broadcast executives to give us more than this? Could we dare to raise our girls to value a spirit of being gentle, sweet, and innocent even within a society that might tell them they are weak?
I pray we can. I must confess I turned on one of "those" shows this week. Old habits. I witnessed a mom screaming at a dance instructor...horrible screams. Angry accusations flying back and forth. And you could see the fear in the girls. Those young minds. Crying because the adults in the room had lost control.
I turned it off. Enough. Tell me, are you sick of our reality TV? What do you want to see on TV? Or how are you filling your days instead of turning it on?
God, I pray for all us struggling to hold on to what is noble, right, pure and lovely in our society today. Help us to turn off the garbage and to stand firm when messages around us tell us that bad behavior is acceptable. Strong. Admirable. Give us conviction and courage to look to you and your word. In Jesus' Name, Amen
Blessings,
Michelle
I so wanna get discussion going on this here, ladies! What does this say to you? Do you feel the same? How can we help our daughters to grow up without the aggression and bad behavior? What do you do besides watch TV to replace this entertainment?
ReplyDeleteWe haven't had tv in our home for most of our 35 years. We go thru spurts with Netflix. My husband likes to read at night. I like to craft or go on Pinterest, or hang out on great blogs. It's so true, that we need to make an effort to keep our hearts and minds filled with the things of God. The scripture you chose for this post is perfect.
ReplyDeleteWow! That is incredible, Patti! What an inspiration. I also love crafting and Pinterest is always fun, even if I do have no less than 50 projects waiting to be completed! I'm so glad you are here and can't wait to learn more about you!
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