Effects of the Media: Part 4 -- The Great Escape

After witnessing so much evil promoted via the media, I have to wonder why it is so alluring to people. Why do people abandon the path of the Lord and willingly follow a cheap imitation of life? I believe most of it has to do with wanting to escape the pressures of life itself, especially a life of righteousness. Since the rise of the hand-held media, humans have been escaping the need to self-reflect and sit quietly for a while. I rarely witness a person sitting quietly without earplugs or an iPod or a video game. The thought of sitting still and not doing anything but thinking or praying is terrifying to a great number of people. Why is this? Well, why should they when they can be amused and avoiding the nagging suspicion that something is missing in their life? They can attempt the fill the gaping hole in their heart with what the media claims will "complete" them, like sex or materialism.

These are the results of a culture saturated by godless media, who eagerly promote sin and a "freeing" escape from righteousness:

• Instead of focusing on God, people focus on how to get away with breaking rules.

• Instead of focusing on what makes a Godly relationship, people focus on how to improve the pleasure for self.

• Instead of self-reflecting, people distract themselves with media and consumerism.

• Instead of living life, people live it vicariously through a godless character.

Where does it lead these people? To a life of bondage, sin, and oppression and eventually -- Hell, the final and ultimate separation from God. This seems really dramatic, but it is the sad truth of our culture. We must be passionate about setting people free just as Jesus was.

Luke 4:17-21 "And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,
¹⁸"THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,
BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.
HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,
AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,
TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
¹⁹TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD."
²⁰And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Discussing the effects of the media has been a horrifying and eye-opening experience. Not wanting to sound redundant, I will shy away from replacing "Lust" with every other sin the media shamelessly promotes and leave you with the gist of my findings: Proverbs 5:1-9 (imagine the 'adulteress' as the media -- who abandon the ideals of God and all the good they could do and leap willingly into bed with Satan)

^"1My son, give attention to my wisdom,
Incline your ear to my understanding;
²That you may observe discretion
And your lips may reserve knowledge.
³For the lips of an adulteress drip honey
And smoother than oil is her speech;
⁴But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
⁵Her feet go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.
⁶She does not ponder the path of life;
Her ways are unstable, she does not know it.
⁷Now then, my sons, listen to me
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.
⁸Keep your way far from her
And do not go near the door of her house,
⁹Or you will give your vigor to others
And your years to the cruel one;"

Hopefully if you've read my previous blogs on the Effects of the Media you will see how the media twists the Truth to ensnare souls. I do not suggest that as Christians, we should permanently avoid the media; however, take great discretion and care when allowing doses of potential poison to enter your mind. The eye does not readily forget what it has seen and the lasting impressions of an alluring sinful life may tempt a soul to the point of sin.

May it never be! May we never encourage this evil to continue.

If you currently find yourself ensnared by the media -- whether with an un-Biblical mindset, relationship, or means of entertainment -- and want to escape it, there is a way out. While the media offers a cheap imitation of life as an escape, Jesus Christ is the Great Escape from all evil and unrighteousness. Call upon Him in all humility and grace to rid your life of sin. There is no sin too big to be forgiven, and there is no sin too great to escape immediately. Even if you have been addicted to porn for years, you can be set free by committing your whole heart and mind to the path of the Lord. Take heart in knowing that "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 Confess your sin to God and tell of your struggles to a trusted Christian. You are never alone; Jesus was given to set us free. John 8:36: "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."

Amen.