What is this obsession with gore, violence and overt perversion within our books and movies? It seems like whenever you turn the corner you find something that touts itself as being a NY Times Best Seller, but in all actuality is just laden with explicit sex scenes and/or violence.
Hunger Pains
I have not read Hunger Games nor have I read Fifty Shades of Grey. However, I have done enough research with both to tell me I do not desire to feed my soul this garbage. I did rent the movie Hunger Games and was completely disturbed. The cinematography was excellent and the acting great, but the premise was quite eery. Children killing other children in order to stay alive. Sick. My husband and I both regret renting the movie.
The Lure of Fifty Shades
Fifty Shades of Grey takes sexual encounters to a whole other level. Sex becomes even more of a cultural god and experimenting with anything and everything becomes the new trend. It’s vile. It’s pornography for women. One of my friends said while she was on the floor at work (she’s a nurse) one of her fellow nurses was talking about this book. This lady was almost boasting about how she was blushing while reading it in bed with her husband next to her. Her husband asked her what she was embarrassed over and she handed him the book an proceeded to also turn crimson.
Unfortunately, these type of books are only the beginning. We are becoming a cultural that craves something to fill our God-shaped hole and so we attempt to fit square pegs (like Fifty Shades or Hunger Games) inside it. The result? Scar tissue and desensitization.
It’s All Relative….or is it?
I know this post will not be popular. I know I should be tolerant and I should accept everyone and everything with an attitude of “if it’s okay for you than that’s great.” But guess what? I would be if that were how God designed us. He designed us with ABSOLUTE truths. He designed us for Himself and He designed us to be filling our minds, bodies and souls with His love and His Word. He wants us to be imitators of His Son. He wants us to be free from evil so that we can live holy uncorrupted lives. Why? Why does He care? Simply this: He knows the consequences that arise when we fill our minds with this sort of trash. Garbage in and garbage out. He wants to protect us. He is the ultimate gentleman. He loves us so much He wants us to stay away from this perversion so that we are saved from more scars.
If you’ve already read these books then ask the Lord to erase the horrid images associated. He CAN and WILL renew your mind. Romans 12:1-2 says this:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Dream About YOUR Man
If you have a husband CLING to him. Act out your craziest passions inside the bedroom with HIM. Don’t fantasize and lust after what you do not have. Instead, embrace who God gave you and be thankful for him. Don’t you see? Reading this kind of material is the same as cheating on him. It’s porn. Emotional porn. Throw it away and run toward Jesus.
If you’re single: flip open the pages of Song of Solomon and read how Solomon cherished and protected his future wife. He didn’t ravage her before she was his. He protected her purity. Wait on the One who God made for you. Wait on Him and trust that HIS timing is the best. Take encouragement from Solomon’s story and know there is a man out there just for you. Until then, make Jesus your lover.
I know that Hunger Games are all the rage right now. But just take a look at the story line and really search within God’s Word to see if the two align.
Do the reading materials you are tempted to digest follow the Philippians 4:8 guidelines?
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
If not then I advise that you choose something that will edify you and uplift you.
I know these reading materials are tempting. Sin always is. Sin is something that promises you the world, but only offers death. Run from it. Flee temptation. Jesus is much sweeter….and guess what? He comes through with His promises.
I urge you to live a life worthy of who Jesus calls you to be. After all, we will each, individually, be held accountable for our actions–both good and bad.
What do you think about these popular books and movie? Please, chime in and share your opinion!
-Hannah
Great post Hannah! I also found Hunger Games to be disturbing. Just the fact that it’s children killing children as the basis should make it R rated. Actually, how did the author even think this up. I think as a society we’ve become desensitized by being tolerant to everything. We no longer discern what we should or should not see. Keep these thought-provoking posts coming…..
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I agree! Thanks! I shall.
Hunger Games was extremely disturbing for sure. What I did like about it was the message it was trying to send: That if we keep giving ourselves to the media culture of loving to watch people’s drama, this is where we could end up. We love to watch reality shows where fighting, divorce, fake friendships, and getting even are cheered on! It may seem an extreme comparison, but we have to remember the culture of Rome in ancient times, when the sport of watching people be killed by wild animals, and/or fight to the death was an acceptable sport of entertainment. They were the weak, the poor, the slave, and the Christian. I relate that to the fact that it was children who were sent into the hunger games. I hope that people see the comparison…
Good post Blondie!