Philippians 2:1-4 “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”Many years ago, our old Pastor gave a Sunday Sermon on the destructive message given by reality shows on television where people were voted off the show. Competition shows had evolved to the point were the “best” person (most equipped to win) would not win the completion because they would be identified as the “greatest threat” with the “most potential” and simple be voted off by the lesser equipped contestants. Gossiping, back stabbing, alliances, and deals became the new strategy to “get an edge” on the competition, to end up on top and ultimately win. Check out this video of reality shows: http://www.youtube.com/v/w536Alnon24
This last Sunday, our guest Pastor had the same message. “I didn’t come here to make friends. I came here to win!”, is the attitude that promotes the self-centered pride and malice towards others. It does not build community, nor love of others … let alone esteeming others better than ourselves. It has gone beyond survival of the fittest to pure “dog eat dog” mentality. We call this entertainment and then wonder why our society is disrespectful, confrontational, and hateful towards each other. For the sake of drama, we’ve not heeded the words of the Apostle and abandoned fair play, down-played the ethics of dedication, devotion and desire in hard work and honored the deceiver, liar and thief, who look out for their own interest only.
Proverbs 6:16-19 “These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.”
Is it time that we say: “Enough is enough”? Is it time that we start pointing to the Savior in our thought, word and deeds, to show the world the standards of life that are given by our Father in Heaven. When a person, a nation, or a world takes its eyes off the Lord, then depravity will soon follow. Let us promote and project the attitude of the heart of God and demonstrate the virtue of love in Christ.
Luke 10:27 “So he (Jesus) answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
In Christ, Brian
4 comments:
That is quite a video. I used to watch reality TV quite a bit, now it is a bit sickening:(
If we don't know the Truth, how are we going to know the message that sounds truthful but actually is not? Lots of deception and they do come in subtlety. Yes, they know Jesus, but the question is...are they true servants of Jesus?
Great message here today brother Brian. Thanks for your encouragement and may God bless and protect you as you continue to share His truth. Glory be to God Who deserves our praises, thanks and worship! No one else...
This is a great post! You have an excellent point. I knew there were good reasons, other than too much skin, on some of these reality shows. I am not a big fan of the "gossiping, back stabbing alliances" in these shows.
I came across your blog through Bob West at Paradox Principles. I'm now a follower! God bless!
My son is hooked on "Biggest Loser" and when they voted off one contestant because he was the "most likely to win" the competition, I couldn't help but think about who was being rewarded. Reality Shows draw viewers in on "drama" and "shock" value (which includes skin) - they want villians & heroes (an evil vs. good element), but when good is wrongly taken out, what is the message given? It doesn't pay to work hard and be the best that you can be, because those who are not deserving have a non-competition factor which allows the opportunity to remove the rightful contestant. The social and biblical value implications and mind set of injustice and unfairness are destructive to the culture. It's an evil win attitude. But in a secular society, truth is relative and there is no evil recognized in I "vote you off" so I can win. The pastor's point is: "What if this mentality was practiced in everyday life?" , and argues that it produces selfish pride and disrespect for others. But most just see this all as plain and oure entertainment.
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