I'd like to issue this challenge to willing hearts.
My husband and I had lived without a television for several years. We weren't trying to "be holy" during that time, we simply couldn't afford to pay for something as unnecessary as TV and reception on free TV is really bad here, so we just switched over to movies DVD's and VHS. Well, last summer, we decided to "try it" one more time. After we got the cable, I really was not happy about where our lives were heading. If sitting around watching TV is being a Couch Potato, I'd classify us as not just Couch Potatoes but ... MASHED couch potatoes! We didn't just sit around watching TV ... we were MASHED INTO THE COUCH! About 2 weeks ago, I suggested to Art that we dump the cable ... it's just too much of an addiction for us ... he thought about it and announced yesterday that he was in agreement so today we called the cable company and canceled our service. But that isn't all we did. We go to church and sing, "Deeper, Deeper" and "Draw Me Nearer" and "I Surrender All" and then we go home and get involved in things that (while not sinful in themselves,) surely takes HOURS of our lives away from seeking that deeper, nearer, surrendered life we sing about. We decided to do something about it. We are taking the next two months to NOT do those things. I challenge you to join us ... turn off your TV, flip off your "Oldies," "Rock," "Rap," "Classical," "NPR," "Country," or any other secular radio stations, tapes, CD's, DVD's, Movies, MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS, ETC. (You can get all sorts of news on the computer ... and limit yer time on THAT, too!) Listen to Christian music, read Christian books (not just "Christian novels," either, but classics such as "Pilgrim's Progress" [there's a new, modern language version to make it easier], church histories, books on prayer and the Gospel and biographical novels of the Apostles) and ... even ... ***GASP*** ... THE BIBLE! Join us ... do this for two months and see what happens to your spiritual life. I suggest you start with prayer because this modern life will surround you and swallow you if you let it ... If you're willing to try it let me know. If you can't do it, that's okay, at least you tried. I'm not going to date this article ... whenever you come across it, start your journey to "deeper, nearer, surrendered" as soon as God speaks to you about it ... and I'll be praying for you.
-- Edited by wordworker on Monday 25th of January 2010 11:42:27 AM
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"I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to His holy people." Jude 3 Joyce
