So I was Thinking...
I was recently faced with the question: "what is your holy discontent?" When I heard this question I had to sit and think about it. Why? I am a pastor. I run a ministry. I should just be able to spout this out without even thinking about it. If I can't then why am I in ministry? (I tend to beat myself up about things like this) But as I thought about it I began to remember why I am in ministry in the first place. I am not perfect (far from it as a matter of fact.) I posed this to our staff the other night and got some great answers.
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Ok, let ME begin with sexuality in movies and tv. This drives me nuts. It's everywhere and in everything. The one that gets on my nerves the most is that stupid commercial about the male enhancement drug. You know the commercial you love to hate. The one where the guy has this big cheesy smile on his face all of the time. What is that all about? Let's see...there's Nip Tuck, Sex in the City, The L Word. Should I go on? OK, then you have The OC, Temptation Island, The Love Cruise, Charmed (a show about sexy witches??? Come on)
This paralyzes us men because we are drawn towards sex whether we want to be or not. This is where we need to be guarding our hearts. If networks put boobs on the screen we either choose to turn the channel or stare at it in amazement as if we have never seen them before, drooling the whole time. If you don't look at it that way then you are either very very very holy...or you're lying! That is just me venting.
So I was thinking about the holy discontent thing. Mine is that the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy...and he is doing a good job at it. All the while packaging it in a pretty box called the mass media. As a result, Our teens are drawn into a world of sex, violence, and deceit. And we sit by and mutter the words: "Do not be conformed to to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind," not understanding its meaning. We as the church (meaning individuals) need to combat this by packaging God in a way that is real and life changing. Don't get religious on me. I am not trying to be blasphemous. What do you think Jesus meant when He said, "I have become all things to all men?" So I ask you...What is your holy discontent? What is the one thing that drives you to say "something has to change."
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Ok, let ME begin with sexuality in movies and tv. This drives me nuts. It's everywhere and in everything. The one that gets on my nerves the most is that stupid commercial about the male enhancement drug. You know the commercial you love to hate. The one where the guy has this big cheesy smile on his face all of the time. What is that all about? Let's see...there's Nip Tuck, Sex in the City, The L Word. Should I go on? OK, then you have The OC, Temptation Island, The Love Cruise, Charmed (a show about sexy witches??? Come on)
This paralyzes us men because we are drawn towards sex whether we want to be or not. This is where we need to be guarding our hearts. If networks put boobs on the screen we either choose to turn the channel or stare at it in amazement as if we have never seen them before, drooling the whole time. If you don't look at it that way then you are either very very very holy...or you're lying! That is just me venting.
So I was thinking about the holy discontent thing. Mine is that the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy...and he is doing a good job at it. All the while packaging it in a pretty box called the mass media. As a result, Our teens are drawn into a world of sex, violence, and deceit. And we sit by and mutter the words: "Do not be conformed to to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind," not understanding its meaning. We as the church (meaning individuals) need to combat this by packaging God in a way that is real and life changing. Don't get religious on me. I am not trying to be blasphemous. What do you think Jesus meant when He said, "I have become all things to all men?" So I ask you...What is your holy discontent? What is the one thing that drives you to say "something has to change."
Larry, I think you've hit the button on the whole sexuality in media. It is ridiculous what we just "write off" as no big deal and the "norm". And very true that if that stuff doesn't in some way affect you as a guy, you are probably lying.
I think I probably have many partial "holy discontents" but unfortunately not enough that are concrete. I think it is something I am learning about holiness. 1 Pt 1:13-15 has sort of become my motto as of late for perspective:
"So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the glorious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways loving to satisfy your evil desires; you didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God, who chose you, is holy. For scripture says, 'You must be holy because I am holy.'"
Posted by
Joel |
6:39 AM