Friday, October 21, 2011

Letting Our Guard Down

Keeping this post as short as possible, I will just say a few things on this topic only because I am so passionate about it that my whole thoughts on this idea cannot be contained in one blog post. Many of my thoughts are not original. God's Word and Christian Bible studies I have worked through are the main sources of my inspiration.
Here I go!
Autumn is a great season, full of beautiful weather, colorful foliage, hot apple cider, candy, parties, campfires, football games, road trips and more candy. However, it is also a time that I think our entire country goes into a frenzy of celebrating or at least strongly focusing on death, sorcery, scary movies/t.v. shows, devils, goblins, zombies and everything else that's scary, deadly or just.....well.....dark.  Why is that?

Even many Christians who, during the other 11 months of the year are "all about" things of hope, peace, light and LIFE, will suddenly turn into people obsessed with going to the scariest movie showing in the theaters or decorating their houses with witches, goblins, headless scarecrows or zombie creatures decorated immaculately with blood and stitches.  To me, this is not funny.  This is not even something that I am able to look past each October. It grates at me.  There, I said it.  I am very bothered that many of the Christians in America find happiness each Fall in surrounding themselves with decor, television shows and movies that the sole plot and purpose is to make wickedness and evil deeds look really good.

I know, I know........most scary movies have "good guys" in the story line and the bad guys are clearly bad, but it seems that the bad guys in the t.v. shows and movies get more of the attention and they somehow become the "cool" character of the movie.  It seems that the more blood spilled and the more suffering a character goes through in a movie or t.v. episode, the better the show and the higher the ratings.  People seem to crave violence in their entertainment and in the season of Halloween that craving seems to intensify greatly.  If we Christians allow things of darkness to fill our minds, it will begin to affect our thoughts and views. Over time it will work it's way out into our words and actions.  I'm not saying that if we as Christians watch a scary movie that we will inevitably go out and murder someone just like the bad guy did in the movie we watched. I'm just saying that when we let things that are against God's character consistently into our minds, sooner or later it will affect our lives on the outside.

Remember the statement, "you are what you eat".  What we put into our lives will come out of us at some point whether we like it or not.  So, why can't we discipline ourselves to flee from thoughts that are against God's character and run toward thoughts that promote life? As Christians, our life is not our own anymore; it is the Lord's. We owe him all gratitude and praise for what He has accomplished on the cross and for defeating death in order to give us new life. Our entire lives, including the thoughts we think and what we let our eyes see, should be an act of thanksgiving and worship to God. SO, I'm not saying stop watching movies that have villains in them.  A good story always has to have conflict.  I'm just asking myself and you, who do we side with when watching those movies?  Since we have been rescued out of darkness, hopefully we are people who stand on the side of what is right and good.

It is beyond me that Christians who have tasted the goodness and greatness of God in their lives because they accept the amazing grace of Christ can suddenly let their affections and adoration and attention go toward things of the darkness. God's greatest enemy is the Deceiver--Satan.  He is described in God's Word as a lion prowling around seeking someone to devour. God's enemy exists only to kill, steal from and destroy God's people simply because we have the gift of eternal life and have been saved by Christ  That being said, why would we as believers in Christ, the Light of the world, be so enamored by things of such wickedness every time Halloween comes around? And strangely as soon as October 31st has passed, come November 1st the frenzy is over and we're all onto a new frenzy of Thanksgiving holiday decor.  Why are we Christians swayed so much by our worldly culture?  Why are we not so greatly affected by God's Word when we read it each day?  Why are we not so greatly convinced to be more like Christ our Savior and King. Especially after we read and hear about His amazing love for us that God would send His only Son into the world to save us from our sin, giving us the opportunity to believe in Christ and have a relationship with the God of the universe?

I tried to tell you earlier that I'm passionate about this.  I know my views are not in any way popular opinion, but I really feel like I needed to post something about this.  It is very dangerous for us Christians to go a whole month unguarded in our minds and hearts simply for the sake of holiday traditions and holiday peer-pressures.  Now, I love to dress up in costume.  It is so much fun. I just don't see the point of dressing up in something or decorating my lawn with something that looks like something that is powered or created by the arch enemy of the Almighty God, my Savior.  Let the costume parties come and let us have a wonderful time dressing up in costume, enjoying delicious food, friendships and wonderful weather, but let us be wise about what we choose to portray and what we choose to exalt. As Christians, we want to honor Christ in all we do because He is worthy of all our praise.

Friends, we must be careful what we let seep into our minds and hearts.  We need to daily announce to our soul in whom is our allegiance.  We need to daily speak to our Redeemer and acknowledge He is mighty and powerful above all else and that only because of Him do we have new life..........rather, life at all.
Read the Bible, it never turns out well for things or people that go up against the God of the Universe. Those who trust in the Lord and make Him their Lord and King of their whole self are the ones who are blessed.
Psalm 97:10
"Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked."
Proverbs 4:23
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

I don't believe it is wise to imitate the characteristics and personality traits of the enemy of our Lord and Savior.

1 comment:

  1. Agreed. These scary images (even the juvenile ones) creep into my sleep and I have nightmares. I only put out beautiful pumpkins and fall colors leaving any Halloween related things out.

    I've been thinking a lot about how things slip into your mind. I work in a very liberal "PC" area and it's so hard. I'm looking for a way out.

    LaShanda

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