I’m not being legalistic. I’m just being real.

So often, I think about the things I say, do, participate in, and watch, and I wonder:  If Jesus was right there beside me in the flesh, would I still do them?

I’m a Christian. The Bible says we are in the world, but not of it. If people look at me, and can’t see something different, then I need to re-evaluate the relationship I have with my Father. A couple big things for me are TV shows and movies. Years ago, we stopped watching R rated movies. Just got tired of the incessant cursing, gory violence, and sex. None of those are listed in Philippians 4:8. Even some PG-13 movies are ridiculous with all they try and get in there without taking on an R rating. By the way, Plugged In is a great site from which to obtain information about movies before going to watch them.

I see Christian friends posting about TV shows or movies they enjoy, and to be honest, it surprises me somewhat. A very popular show is The Walking Dead. People are infatuated with it. Thanks to the convenience of Netflix, I gave it a shot last year, and made it through maybe one full episode and half of the second. It’s complete filth. If Jesus knocked on the door and wanted to hang out for a bit, would we seriously watch that? “Hey, Jesus. You’ve GOT to see this show everyone is raving about. It’s awesome!”

Another Christian friend was excited about the new season coming up for the show, Sons of Anarchy. About bikers. Again, I sat down with Netflix and gave it a chance. Same result. Complete filth.

Now listen. It’s not my job to tell you what you can and cannot watch. That is entirely between you and God. You are the steward of your own heart and conscience. I just believe that as Christians, we have no right to indulge in what our flesh wants. When we decide to follow Christ, we give up all rights. We were never created to please our self. That all came onto the scene the moment Adam and Eve ate the fruit. The fall of man.

It’s a process of renewing our minds and daily dying to our flesh. Start simple. I’ve mentioned this before. When I go to the store, instead of finding the closest parking spot, I look for one that is further away. It may sound stupid, but our flesh wants to park as close as possible so we don’t have to walk far. Just say, “No, flesh. You are dead to me”, park further back, and enjoy the exercise.

Jesus paid a high price to reconcile us back to the Father. To bring us back into righteousness, right standing, with our Creator. He paid for it by allowing Himself to be murdered on a tree. He looked down at the very ones who nailed Him up there, and asked His Father to forgive them, because they had no idea what they were doing. He knew everything we would ever do against Him, and none of it stopped His love from pouring out. Whew. That creates a desire within me to live for Him. To give up the desires of my flesh, and crawl up onto the altar as a living sacrifice.

I encourage you to evaluate your activities, and see if they are pleasing God, or the flesh.