As we journey together “let us think of ways to motivate one another in acts of love and good works”(Hebrews 10:24 NLT)

 

This morning as I sat and did my devotions I was  confronted with  a verse that chiseled pieces from my heart.  It’s not something I struggle with consistently.  It stems from low points, those valley moments.  Sometimes valley moments leave me wanting to hide in a storyline…I Love a compelling story!  It’s the girl in me.  It kind of tykes me outside of my circumstances and allows me to enter a land that has happy endings.   

It’s been a rough couple of weeks with our 6 year old.  I can’t fix the issues he struggles with.  I just can’t .  It’s not like a splinter.  You remove the foreign body, put  an antibiotic ointment and a bandaid on it and in a few hours it is forgotten….for a healthy 6 year old anyway.  And this week has been even worse because they have had no school, no school = no rigid routine.  No rigid routine= mass chaos inside this little boys head!   I’m still relatively new to this so it was a great insight into the possibilities for summer!

But all of that said, sometimes we need to step outside of our reality.  That’s why people like TV, MUSIC, MOVIES AND FICTION BOOKS.  and in and of themselves, they aren’t bad things

BUT. Sometimes, sometimes we get blinded by a good storyline and get sucked in.  We get blinded to all the peripheral sin going on.  And that is dangerous territory and that is exactly what happens to Lot as well.  Though his circumstances are slightly different.   The land he goes to is “good” but the people surrounding him are not!

2 Peter 2:7and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8(for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);

Pondering all the false prophets I let into my life.  They may not just be spiritual teachers, but those I am following in my day to day life.  Do those people live like God commands or do they pay lip service and live another way OR does it blatantly go against God’s word and I allow it into my life to  numb my mind and heart to what God calls sin.  Lot does this by living in a city rampant with sin, he offered his daughters to the crowd, he had a husband chosen from the horrible city to marry his daughter. COMPROMISE, doesn’t just affect us, but our families as well.  We can see the effect of compromise on Lot’s daughters.  

 In our everyday life we make compromises.  Compromises aren’t necessarily bad.  It’s when compromise hurts ours our others walk with God, that it becomes horrible.  And recognizing it quickly is key.   It’s amazing at how fast this can happen especially at your lowest points!   

So here are steps to help combat this moments

1. Be in Gods word daily!  A new thing I added recently is listening to the Bible.  Some days are just too insane to add sitting for 10 minutes.  I can hide God’s Word in my heart by listening to it while I wash dishes, fold laundry or make dinner!

2. Memorize these verses

1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
AND
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

3. Put Pure things in!  Get lost in the Chronicles of Narnia, or Anne of Geen Gables, Little house on the Prairie.   There are positive alternatives out there. You just have to make the effort.  And if you are thinking oh those things are hokey or out of date, Well I promise you this in 10 years so will  the stuff you are into now!the point isn’t graphics, animation, cool effects.  Thats changes in this world so fast these days.  What matter is purity.  TRUTH.  

4.ask yourself  If the kids can’t watch it, Why? And then  should I be watching this?   And if the kids should walk in while I am watching this what would it communicate to them?   Would it communicate a double standard?   There are something’s that young children should not see…the news for instance, some documentaries.   Adult conversations.   (We didn’t let our kids watch the Bill Nye/ken Ham debate,not because it was bad but because there were sensitive adult subjects that an 8,7,6 and 3 year old are not capable of processing yet)

5. This new one I added after reading Courtney Joseph’s book Women Living Well!   Would I invite these people into my house to have sex on the couch in front of me and my children?   Seriously think about this!  This IS what we are doing!

It all comes down to this: : it’s a perspective change. We try not to let false teachers in but every once in a while one sneaks in. It’s a good reminder that despite a “great storyline”. Sometimes we need to shut off a TV show or movie, put down that book, and change the radio station! Because it may have a great beat, or a funny or compelling storyline but if the circumstances surrounding the storyline or lines laced into that great beat go against God’s word thaen we are not guarding our heart! This is not easy and convicted my heart as I am constantly reviewing why we do what we do in our family……does this fit into 1Corinthians 10:31 and Philippians 4:8-9

1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
AND
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

If it goes against these then we are in danger! Our children are in danger, because hypocrisy jeprodizes faith in the greatest of ways.