I am reading a small book titled Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World. You can buy it here for only $10.39. I am 1/3 of the way through it and just got done reading the chapter “God, My Heart and Media”. This chapter is filled with thought provoking, challenging and convicting words of truth and I want to take several posts and share with you some of what has challenged me as I have read.
In this chapter the author puts out a challenge to the readers to live coram Deo. What on earth does that mean? He goes on to say this:
Coram Deo is a short Latin phrase packing a potent punch: “before the face of God.” All aspects of our existence–from private thoughts to public words and actions–are lived out before His face. Properly regarded, living coram Deoarouses our fear of God…Fearing God is where we begin our search for knowledge and wisdom. (Prov. 1:7; Ps. 14:1) What does this have to do with our media use? Put bluntly, it means we surf the Internet, listen to the radio, watch television, or rent a DVD in God’s presence. We make our choice–all our choices–with God’s holy face in view…We are accountable to God in all things, including our entertainment.
God is holy, and we are not. Coram Deo, we realize we’re in trouble–our eyes have lusted, our imaginations have trespassed, our time has been squandered. We must run to the cross where God’s holiness and mercy intersect decisively. Coram Deo, we find grace. Grace that forgives. Grace that empowers us to change. Grace that leads us to desire and pursue obedience.
Just in the past week how would your entertainment choices be different if they had been made while living in the mindset of corum Deo, making choices while contemplating the reality of those choices being before God’s face? What we watch matters to God and we must make choices always remembering that we are accountable to God in all we do.
