What We Watch Matters


 “'I have the right to do anything,' you say—but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'—but not everything is constructive." (1 Corinthians 10:23)

I have been watching "Hard Knocks" this season. I hadn't really watched it before, but I'm so down for football this year I decided to tune in. And I love it. It's hilarious and fascinating. But it's not exactly clean in terms of language. And my wife noticed.

During the second episode, she commented, "I don't know if you should watch this anymore, their language is so bad." At first, I brushed it off. Then I realized it was sort of impacting my personal speech.

I have always been dismissive of the idea that watching something impacts your behavior. I can watch a horror movie and have no desire to kill someone. I also don't watch movies and want to watch adult entertainment or model some of the lascivious behavior. But when it comes to language, I have to admit that sometimes what I watch and/or listen to has a profound effect on me. I didn't even totally notice that until my wife pointed it out.

Plugged In, a Christian media Website, ran a blog this week about the idea that what we consume in terms of media impacts who we are. The title was "I Didn't Even Notice." (http://pluggedin.focusonthefamily.com/39-i-didn-39-t-even-notice-39/?utm_source=fb_pluggedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=blog_ididntevennotice_aug_20) And, of course, the example it used was about language in media.

The post ended with an invitation to share our thoughts. I had to admit, that hit a little too close to home. In general, watching violent or risqué content doesn't impact my behavior. For me, that isn't an area of weakness. But I can't say the same about language. It's one of those subtle things, for me, that can greatly impact the way I speak. And the worst part is it happens without me even thinking about it.

That got me to thinking about Paul's teaching on Christian liberty. We can do all things, but not all things are beneficial. And that matters. A few verses after what he wrote above, Paul says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

It was a reminder to me that I need to be more discerning about my media consumption, and how it impacts my conduct. We all have our weak spots. Once you identify yours, how will you respond?

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