Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthyâ€"meditate on these things."¹

Some time ago, according to Chuck Colson in BreakPoint, "When Edward Bello committed his most recent crime, he expected to go to prison. Instead, the judge sentenced him to nine months with no television. He said he wanted 'to create a condition of silent introspection' in order to induce Bello to change his behavior.

"Belo's lawyers were outraged. They appealed on the grounds that making Bello keep his seven TV sets turned off is 'cruel and unusual punishment'â€"and thus violates the Constitution."²

Can you believe it? Astounding! What has our society become? Not watching television is supposed to be "cruel and unusual punishment!"

While television is an incredible means of communication and does have some very uplifting, educational, and inspiring programs, you have to carefully choose it as much of the programming glorifies illicit sex, violence, instant gratification, easy divorce and no end of trash. Even some of the religious programming with its glitz, glitter and phony spirituality is incredibly embarrassing!

At one time (in the U.S.A.) it was "Turn off TV Week," and it was a good idea to turn your TV off for the week, but it's much more critical always to guard what we watch and what we allow our children to watch. This is because constant repetition of any type of programming programs the unconscious mind and one's belief system. For example, if I constantly watch illicit sex, I will gradually come to accept it and then believe that it is acceptable, and so believing sets me up to act it out! That's how so much irresponsible TV is helping to shape the beliefs, practices, and the ever-decaying morals of our society.

Even Jesus said that if your eye offends you, better to pluck it out. In other words, we need to be very careful what we watch and allow our minds to meditate on. For if we meditate (let our minds dwell on) good, we will act accordingly, and if we meditate on sin and evil, we will also act accordingly. Let us never forget that what the mind dwells on, the body acts on! And as David said to God, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against You."³

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You for Your Word, the Bible that gives me instructions not only for life after life, but also for how to live life to the fullest in the here and now. Please give me the desire to meditate on Your Word and thereby program it into my unconscious belief system so that I will always live in harmony with Your will. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Philippians 4:8 (NKJV).
2. Chuck Colson, BreakPoint, April 19,2002 http://www.breakpoint.org
3. Psalm 119:11 (NIV).

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