Is television sinful? I was asked that good question recently by a member of our church. Can a Christian watch TV? I’m a little ashamed of my initial reaction. At first, I thought to myself, “Of course! Why are you even asking? Everybody watches TV!” But then my friend explained her question. She had read this verse in the Bible, “I will set before my eyes no vile thing” (Psalm 101:3). Those are strong words, aren’t they? They got me thinking: How many vile (sinful!) things does TV set before my eyes? Lust. Profanity. Violence. Crude humor. We get so used to it that we don’t even notice. How dangerous! Do we really think we can let our eyes see so much sin without it affecting our hearts? Be careful what you see!
Yet, we want to be careful not to create rules that God hasn’t given us. Certainly not all TV is sinful or promotes sinful behavior. It’s also good to realize that each one of us is tempted in different ways by different sins. A show that leads me into temptation may not lead you into temptation. So may the Holy Spirit in our hearts guide the decisions we make about what and when to watch. We rejoice in Jesus’ forgiveness, and we pray “Lead us not into temptation!” A little song I learned as a kid still applies today: “O be careful little eyes what you see, O be careful little eyes what you see, for the Father up above is looking down in love, O be careful little eyes what you see.” As you watch, be careful what you see!
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