As we started diving into our class project, my team decided on the topic of media’s effect on romantic relationships. This has led me to think about the deeper ways media is influencing us as Christians. It also influences our stream of thoughts, beliefs, and views of ourselves and others. It is so easy to scroll through social media, binge-watch shows, and listen to the latest music without realizing its effect on us.
As a Christian, I felt it was important to turn to what the Bible might say about this topic. In Romans 12:2 it states, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” I do not think the solution is to stop engaging with secular media altogether but becoming more intentional is vital. If we are continuously filling our minds with distracting content, we cannot renew our minds in Christ.
The scary thing about the media is that it is not always obvious the effect it is having on us. Yes, some content is contradictive of Christian values, but the real struggle is within the more subtle influences. The movies glorify toxic relationships, the news provokes anxiety, and even just the constant flow of entertainment pulls our time away from God. In Proverbs 4:23 it says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” The media many of us consume leads us to anxiety, comparison, temptation, or just an overall loss of peace, it might be time to take a deeper look into what we are allowing to influence our thoughts and emotions.
Social media should be a tool to connect and engage in a Christ-like manner. This does not mean we should only consume religious content, but in all that we do, we should look to engage in what promotes truth, integrity, and growth. Philippians 4:8 shares, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.” The way we engage with the media should be a reflection of our faith, and by setting an example we can encourage others to be more conscious of their media consumption.
Overall, consuming media as Christians should not be about avoiding culture but engaging with it honorably. If we guard our hearts, choose uplifting content, and engage thoughtfully we not only navigate today’s media landscape with faith we can influence it.
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