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“I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.” Psalm 101:2b-4

Phones, tablets, smart watches. The opportunity in our day for visual and mental input is pervasive. to the tantalizing bait with a click, and the next thing you know, the algorithm starts feeding you similar content—whether you liked what you saw the first time or not. Search something on Google (or even discuss something with your phone in earshot) and relevant ads will flood your feeds. Then there are all those streaming tv channels…endless story options that seem interesting, perhaps even tempting a binge-watch because of the “character development” or good-versus-evil plot. Ah, but a few minutes into episode one (or in the first 15 minutes of a film), there it is: the world’s immorality, sin normalized with an underlying soul-numbing message of, “This is natural, acceptable—it’s the way of the world, nothing to get uptight about. You can still live the way you want. After all, this is just entertainment—no harm, no foul.”

Friend, don’t be deceived! These are hissing lies of the enemy. Modern algorithms and streaming shows are his tools to either hook you into sin and trip up your walk with the Lord (and potentially damage your testimony) or lull you into the sleep of ineffectiveness.

Before salvation, we were darkness—but, as surrendered followers of Christ, we are now light in the Lord. So, we’re called to take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:3-17). We are to look carefully at how we walk—and what we watch. These days are evil, and Satan knows his time is short. Are you (and I) making the best use of the time? By watching these worldly shows full of sex, homosexuality, cursing, and murder or doomscrolling for hours down dark holes of the same, we are acting like fools, partnering with the ungodly. In this, we befriend the world. But we need to recall the brutally honest exhortation of James: Whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God (James 4:4).

“But this is just the way the world is! Am I supposed to give up my smartphone? My television?” (Well, the answer to that is, “Maybe.” It depends on the Holy Spirit’s conviction within you and/or your level of addiction to it all.) For all of us, though, it is about turning away from the dark and setting our minds—and eyes—on things above (Colossians 3:2). It’s about filling our ears, eyes, mind, and spirit with godly things. That which is honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).

Beloved, let’s assess our input. The shows we stream and the YouTube channels we subscribe to (even the seemingly innocuous ones about health or home—they could be contributing to confusion, envy, fear). This includes our favorite podcasts (political, cultural…maybe even spiritual, if the host tends to drive wedges among the Body of Christ). Let’s make a shift and devote ourselves to quieting the worldly noise. (I’ve already started, and I can tell you that the level of peace and joy I am already experiencing is beautiful. And I haven’t had any social media in about a decade—so my cutting away has been primarily YouTube and tv shows. I recognize that socials have an entirely different level of pull, so eliminating this may hold much greater difficulty.)

My prayer for you and for me in this mirrors that of the Apostle Paul in his letter to Titus (2:11-14): “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.” Amen and amen.

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life