Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled Matthew 5:6
Not too long ago, I took two of my nieces to the movies. As the lights went down and the previews came on, it dawned on me that we were going to be exposed to much more than just the movie that we’d come to see. We would also be exposed to the previews before the movie. This particular night there was a series of previews for movies that push the envelope of unrighteousness. From sex to murder, to straight out evil (witchcraft and demonic activity), it would seem as if the producers of these movies actually opened the Bible, saw what God said not to do, and then made a movie glorifying it. Over the years there has been a steady diet of these types of movies and TV shows fed to America. As the years go by, the entertainment industry gets progressively worse and worse. You will occasionally hear someone protest by asking, “Why does Hollywood make such filth?” The unfortunate answer is that we have a taste for this type of “entertainment.” America has developed an appetite for unrighteousness.
Wanting What God Wants
Standing in contrast to our culture, Jesus says “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” People who hunger and thirst for righteousness have a deep desire in them to see God’s perfect standard lived out not only in their lives but in our world. Most evangelical Christians would agree that much of what Hollywood produces is a stark rebellion to God’s righteous standard. Although we may know this to be true, we seem to think that it is acceptable to watch because we are being entertained. Romans 1:32 states, “Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” (ESV) Even if we do not practice the things we see in the movies or on TV, watching and paying to watch them is a type of approval. Christians should be aware of what God’s standard calls for in this area.
A Call for Discernment
When I was growing up the wisdom from many of the church leaders was that it was wrong to even step into a movie theater or to rent a video. I am not endorsing that viewpoint. There is nothing wrong with watching a movie for entertainment value. However, we as Christians should practice much discernment with what we watch. It is not only for our own personal holiness that we need to practice discernment, but we must realize that in an indirect way we influence non-believers by the forms of entertainment we choose. We are showing approval of the content of a movie when we watch it. Each individual Christian should make a decision about what they watch. Do you believe that God hates adultery? Why would you watch a movie or a TV show that glorifies adultery? Finally, imagine the effect it would have on the entertainment industry if everyone who claimed to be a Christian would not watch movies that stand in direct contrast with Christ’s teaching. Not only would it be a witness to them that we believe in Jesus, but that we believe Him. Imagine if by our witness we could change what Hollywood produces.
