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Q. I recently gave my life to Christ. I feel that entertainment is just that: entertainment. I can discard it and not make it a bigger deal. I really don't see how it affects my mind in any way. And I haven't seen it distract me from God. How could it?

A. If what you watch and listen to doesn't touch your mind or emotions, why bother? Why not just watch paint dry? We watch TV shows and listen to music precisely because they engage our thoughts and feelings. That's what entertainment is all about. I don't think most people realize how many messages they can pick up from what they watch and listen to.

For those of us who have given our lives to Christ, the important question isn't whether something is OK or not. Instead, we need to think whether our entertainment choices help or hurt our goal of becoming more like Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 10:23, it says, "Some of you say, 'We can do whatever we want to!' But I tell you that not everything may be good or helpful" (CEV). Deciding what is good and helpful requires brutal self–honesty. Does watching violent or aggressive content cause you to feel angry or fearful? Does seeing sexual content or images drag your mind toward lustful thoughts? Does hearing swearing make it tougher for you not to spew it?

Colossians 3:5-9 says, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed. … You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips" (NIV). Following Jesus means killing off our "old ways" of living.

God's Word turns your question of "why not?" back on you: Why watch? Why listen? How is it helping you live like Christ?

Mark is the founder of WisdomWorks Ministries. You can learn about his conferences, read movie and music reviews, and more at planetwisdom.com.

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today/Ignite Your Faith magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Ignite Your Faith.

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