- a purifying exercise
Loneliness is one of the most universal human experiences, but our contemporary Western society has heightened the awareness of our loneliness to an unusual degree...Pornography seems one of the logical results. It is intimacy for sale.
- H. Nouwen
Practical Exercise:
Take an inventory of your media habits. What programmes are unhelpful to you living like Christ? (This is not just about pornography). What negative thoughts, attitudes, values, actions are you inadvertently picking up? Who can you be accountable to for your future viewing/reading/listening choices?
Filter Questions:
Here are the filter questions Brett shared in his message based on those recommended by our national movement, the Wesleyan Methodist church • Is the action Helpful, beneficial or constructive for me? Does the action contravene any clear teaching of Scripture? Does the Scripture speak to the issue at hand to offer me protection from harm (2 Tim 2:16)? Does it cause me to grow spiritually or help others grow (1 Cor. 6:12a; 10:23)? Does the action pull me away from God or draw me to him (Matt. 15:8; Heb. 3:7-19; James 1:14, 15)? Does the action make me less interested in spiritual things? • Is the action a Habit? Is it an addictive behaviour? Does it hold me in its power? Do I feel that I need this to be happy and fulfilled? Does it control my thoughts or actions (1 Cor. 6:12b)? Does the action keep me from being fully engaged as a human being? Does it impair my judgement? Does it cloud my thinking? Does it stop me being in charge of all my faculties (1 Cor. 5:12, Eph 5:18)? Does it control me or am I in control? • Is the action Hurtful for myself or for another Christian who is young in age or faith? Does the action violate what I experience as my conscience? Do I feel that it is wrong in my spirit (Rom. 2:15, 13:5, 1 Cor. 8:7, 1 Tim. 1:5, 1 Tim. 4:2)? If it passes the test of my own conscience, will doing it hurt someone else and cause them to be tempted to go against their conscience? Is it hurtful for a person exploring a relationship with Christ? Could my behaviour cause a such a person to ignore the gospel or disregard Christ (1 Cor. 8:13; 10:24-11:1)? • Is the action Honouring to God? Glorifying God means to give God his rightful place, to please him by seeking his interests. In doing it, would I bring glory to God or dishonour to him (1 Cor. 10:31)? Does the action identify you as a follower of Christ or of the world? Will it make you more “of the world” rather than simply “in the world?