I have to admit, there was a show on Netflix last year that I really enjoyed... Now this feels like a confession, because there was nothing, I mean NOTHING, redeeming about this show. But it had some of my favorite actors and the story lines each week were fascinating... I didn't realize this last season, but as I look back, it seemed to explore the depths of the darkness of the human heart, left to its own devices and schemes. I was watching for when the second season would begin, which was last week...
Monday morning came, the kids were back in school and I was working on a jewelry project that made it possible to watch and work at the same time... But God has a wonderful sense of timing!
Earlier on Monday morning, I read Acts 3. In Acts 3, Peter and John heal a lame man and the people are astounded, so Peter addresses the people and gives a powerful presentation of the gospel. But it was verse 26 that grabbed my heart and mind, "God, having raised up His servant, sent Him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness."
God sent Jesus to bless us by turning us from our wickedness... Jesus said that He came that we might have life and have it to the full... Therefore, turning from our wickedness is necessary to live the abundant life! Seems like a 'duh' moment when you spell it out like that... but too often we live like we believe that pleasure, fun, satisfaction, the abundant life are found in the things of this world... not the things, or the ways, of God!
So back to Monday morning... I turned on the new episode and I started to watch. I don't think it was any darker than last season, but something was different. As I watched the episode unfold, a sense of uneasiness settled over me. As the episode ended, I just sat... The darkness of the story in that episode was oppressive... People doing anything necessary to get what they want, including murder. And as I sat God's word came back to mind... Jesus came to BLESS us by turning us from our wickedness. It is a BLESSING to turn away from wickedness, to reject it... Then why on earth would I immerse myself in wickedness for the momentary pleasure of a tv show?
Let's just say, that show is OFF my watch list, and in the future, I'm going to be more careful about what I add to my watch list... Here's why...
I was relating this incident to a very wise friend of mine and she started to recite a quote she remembered,
"Two natures beat within my breast,
The one is foul, the one is blessed
The one I love, the one I hate
The one I feed will dominate." (Author anonymous)
I long to live the abundant life, not just experience it occasionally. But if that's going to be true, I have got to stop feeding the old nature within... I can't immerse myself in wickedness and be transformed (Romans 12:2, Be transformed by the renewing of the mind.)
The nature I feed is truly the nature that will dominate... What I read, watch, talk about, think about, listen to, it ALL matters! It's not about following a set of rules... it's not about legalism... it's ALL about the practices that will help me live the way I long to... the way Jesus paid such a high price for me to be able to.
As I finish this blog, I'm resolving to get an index card to put a question on my bathroom mirror... Each morning, I want to be reminded to think about, "Which nature will you feed today?"
Have a great week!
Sharla
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