TV – What are you rooting for?

If there were background music set to my childhood years it would be the theme song to the Brady Bunch.

Our TV was the seventh member of our family.

Our favorite family show? Little House on the Prairie. What a great show. Sadly, these kinds of programs are tougher to find nowadays. Apparently, our appetite for entertainment now includes watching wealthy people act like fools or watching fictional characters make warped decisions and twisted life-mistakes then attempt to survive them.

We give our gift of time away too freely.  

Teach me to number my days that I may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Nowadays, we not only watch TV but we turn the stars of these shows and movies into idols that steal our time. Does it really matter who Kim Kardashian is dating? Or not dating? Someone recently shared, “It’s Angelina Jolie’s birthday today.” To which my husband replied, “Wow. That’s great. I sure hope she invites us to her birthday party like she did last year. Oh yeah. She didn’t.” My husband loves to throw a big dose of logic into our TV time. “Do you realize we’re watching yet another sitcom where the children are the smart ones and the parents are idiots?” He’ll remind me. 

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Colossians 4:5

As a Christian, I’ve often wondered:  Would I be okay if Jesus were sitting beside me to watch my favorite program? Either I believe in Emmanuel (God with us) or I don’t.  I’ve been called to live a holy life set apart.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1Peter 2:9

And, to be brutally honest, some of the worst shows have been faithfully watched by people who claim to be a Christian. Jesus is a gentleman. He will never force a relationship with you. But, once you say “Yes.” to believing and loving Him, you must realize He is with you, always. Right?

According to a Gallup study 78% of Americans identify themselves as Christian. Is America truly a Christian nation? I’m not sure I believe that anymore. If so, there would be much more  protest as to what is being streamed into our homes.

We parent with intention. Parenting with intention means I watch TV with intention, too. It doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes, it just means I believe God holds me accountable for how I raise my children. He handpicked Paul and I to raise two daughters and two sons into adulthood. I’m trying very hard to take His gift of parenting  and this stewardship very seriously.

How do you know if a TV show is God honoring or not? Most often, it’s very clear. But, for those grey areas, here’s a good guide -what are you rooting for?

What are you rooting for?

Over the years I’ve been sucked into a program or two. Unfortunately, there have been very few I’ve been able to watch all the way through to their last season. Why? Because I begin to root for sin.

What do I mean by that? Let me give you an example.

Episode One: The scene opens on an adorable family. Except, as the story continues you see the wife is being treated poorly by her husband. Maybe he forgets her birthday or he might be a workaholic who doesn’t take time for her and takes her for granted.

Episode Two: The UPS guy comes by each day and starts talking to her. He sees the caring person she is and treats her nicely. My heart responds to his tender heart towards her. Sigh…isn’t the UPS guy the best?

Episode Five or Six: In a matter of a few episodes I can’t stand her uncaring workaholic husband. When is she going to leave this lump and get together with the UPS guy? When I find myself rooting for an affair I’m rooting for sin. That’s when I know it’s time to turn it off.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1

 

Interested in watching TV with your family in a God honoring way? Here’s a few helpful do’s and don’t’s.

• Do set a time limit. It’s amazing how fast the hours fly by when entertained by TV. I speak from experience.
• Do remind your children why you’ve chosen to watch a specific show together; great message, good example of family life, inspirational.
• Do watch TV together. The moment we leave our little ones unsupervised we hand over our parenting responsibility to networks who market to make a buck.
• Do the radical thing—turn it off. Pick up a deck of cards or play an old fashioned game of charades. Sound ridiculous or silly? Then maybe you haven’t played a game together in a while. I promise you’ll laugh—a lot.
• Don’t put a TV in your child’s room—ever. Seriously. Never. Ever.You warp their creativity and encourage inactivity. Not to mention, you welcome violence, profanity and sexual content that you may not even realize is happening on their favorite shows right into your home.
• Don’t give your child free reign. TV is a privilege in our home – not a right. Teach your child to talk to you first before turning it on. That way you communicate together about what gets center stage in your family room.
• Don’t worry about what other people say. Some friends or family might think you’re nuts. That’s okay. TV was never meant to be a way of life. It wasn’t created to babysit our kids or be the focal point of our home and family. It is a slice of entertainment. Period. Don’t ever allow it be more than that.
• Don’t forget to add up the hours you spend watching other people live their real or imaginary  lives. It might surprise you to see how much more time you could invest in Jesus and your family.

We  pulled the plug on cable television almost five years ago.  When we began our hiatus I didn’t believe I’d make it through a week, let alone five years. After all, what would Paula Dean do without me?  Apparently, she has survived—and so have I.

 

Are you a Christian family? How do you pick and choose your TV boundaries?