God, My Heart and Stuff – 1

As we continue looking at Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World (you can find the other posts here), we come to the chapter on materialism. The author does a great job of addressing the issues of the heart when it comes to our stuff. Here are a few quotes:

Coveting is desiring stuff too much or desiring too much stuff. It is replacing our delight in God with joy in stuff. Materialism is what happens when coveting has cash to spend…covetousness is a form of idol worship (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5).

He goes on to say this while talking of Luke 12 where a man came to Christ wanting Him to settle a dispute about the family inheritance,

The sin of covetousness is not what we have stuff; it’s that our stuff has us. That’s why, when that man in the crowd interrupted Jesus, he found it so easy to ignore what the Master was teaching and demand a ruling on his belonging. Covetousness blinded him from everything but his momentary object of worship–a family inheritance. The irony is that he was face-to-face with the only One truly worthy of worship, yet all he could see was what he lacked. He had stuff on his mind and wrapped around his heart.

The last quote I’ll share today gives hope to those wrapped in covetousness.

Covetousness may be powerful, but it’s no match for a benevolent Savior.

In the next two posts from this chapter we will look at how covetousness traps us and then how to be on guard against it.

God, My Heart, and Music

I just read a small book titled Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World. You can buy it here for only $10.39. Not very long ago I shared some thoughts on from the chapter “God, My Heart and Media” (here, here and here). The next chapter is titled “God, My Heart, and Music” and while I disagree with the author more in this chapter than any other part of the book, he still has several challenging practical thoughts when it comes to our music choices.

The question is this, how can we use music for God’s glory? After all, as he writes, “Music is meant to be a means of bringing glory to God.” Then he shares several specific steps we can take as we pursue glorifying God with our music. Here are a few of them:

Specific Steps

• Delete or throw away music you’ll listen to only if you backslide…it’s wise to get rid of what could hinder our growth in Christ 
• Listen to music with others. Part of the joy music communicates comes from sharing it.
• Evaluate your current intake of music. Areas to consider include how much music you listen to, what types, in what situations and times of day, and for how long.
• Go on a music fast.Maybe you can’t imagine giving up your music far a month, a week, or even a day. But there are few more effective ways to measure the place music holds on your life, thinking and behavior.
• Listen to old music.Music that stands the test of time is worth giving our attention to. We’re shortsighted, proud, and poorer if we never appreciate the music God has given throughout history.
• Intentionally thank God every time you enjoy music. Music is a gift from God. But God never intends his gifts to replace Him as the object of our desire and delight. Music, like all of God’s gifts, is meant to draw our hearts and attention to His glory, His power and His love.

God, My Heart and Media – 3

I want to share one more thought from this chapter (God, My Heart and Media) from Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World. The author shares a great challenge about accountability concerning what we watch/read/listen to. He says:

If you’re a young person, you may have resisted your parents’ guidelines. You may have failed to communicate honestly about web sites you’ve visited or online conversations. If you’ve deceived your parents ans secretly exposed yourself to television, films, Internet sites or any other media that dishonors God, confess your sin and ask for your parents’ forgiveness and for ongoing accountability to them. If opening your life to others is foreign, you may see accountability as an unwelcome intrusion. I assure you it is not. Accountable viewing is a blessing and not a burden, for it positions us to experience the grace of God, the fellowship of his people, protection from sin and temptation, and the freedom of a clear conscience.

All I can add is, do it!

God, My Heart and Media – 2

One helpful thing the author does is in this chapter of Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World is list a number of questions to help us discern as we make choices on what to watch, whether a television show, a movie or something online. There are many more that he puts out there, but here are a few of his questions.

Time Questions

• Am I skipping or delaying something important in order to watch this now?
• How much time have I already spent on media today?
• In the last week, how much time have I spent on the spiritual disciplines, building relationships or serving in my local church compared to time spent consuming media?

Heart Questions

• Why do I want to watch this program or film? What do I find entertaining about it?
• What sinful temptations will this program of film present?
• Am I watching it because I’m bored or lazy? If so, what does that reveal about my heart?
• How have my online relationships impacted my face-to-face relationships? How has my online activity impacted my soul? For better or worse?

Content Questions

• What philosophy of life does this program or film present? What is the view of sin? Is sin identified as such?
• What does this program or film glamorize?
• Is sin shown as having negative consequences? Or is sin glorified or rewarded?
• Will I benefit in any way from viewing this program or visiting this web site?

How would your viewing of media (TV, movies, internet) change if you would simply ask these questions and other like them before viewing? Is your media viewing done coram Deo, before the face of God?

God, My Heart and Media – 1

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.