When this content is recommended to you, you find yourself conflicted. Should I expose my self to it at all, how much exposure should I allow? When does spending time and money on the content become a sinful act?
You also find yourself hesitant to explain to your friends why you shouldn't invest yourself in these avenues. It's almost like reading invisible ink, we have the black light in order to understand the full picture, while our friends don't.
Your friends enthusiasm may feel threatening to you because you can't reciprocate the feeling. The spiritual gap between you and your friend is magnified.
STRANGER THINGS
My friend told me he was watching a new series, Stranger Things, a popular Netflix Original. My initial thought was, "DON'T!" The reason behind this reaction was because this content is not safe for anyone especially non-believers. Then my friend recommended it to me, when I was first informed of his interest in the show my perception of the conversation was changed. Rather than a recommendation it translated to a blunt statement of, "I'm going to make a bad decision!" Followed by, "Now you should make the bad decision too, because its amazing!" Though it is not intended, it may feel like your friends are boasting their spiritual desensitization.
I did consider watching it before he recommended it to me because it was so popular. After he said to watch it, I did some research on it and expected to run into some folly on account of the genre. After researching the content, we made the decision to give it a try. As we progressed through the episodes it became more and more clear to us that our expectations had been exceeded.
First, we thought the writing and dynamic cast of characters were captivating. The return to the eighties was refreshing. As the story drew us in we couldn't help but notice red flags start to pop up in the scenes or in the dialogue. We understood they needed to set the stage and introduce us to the subject matter but by episode three, my mom in particular, kept saying this story has a lot more to it. So we kept watching, straight to the end of the season. It provided us with much to think about, like why didn't we end our viewing at episode 3 when the content became more blatantly deprived? To be honest, the story was well written and we were sucked in.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
In the Show, the boys talk about 'the upside down' a dimension we can't see but is there. The fact is there is a spiritual realm. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers, against the rulers of the dark world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." -Ephesians 6:12.
They introduce a game, Dungeons and Dragons as a way to communicate and explain what is happening in order to help save the boy trapped in the dimension. The heroine is a girl who has telekinetic abilities from an experimental facility, ran by the government. The episodes and characters are encompassed by occult symbolism in just about every scene. James 3:15 says this 'wisdom' is earthly, nonspiritual and demonic.
This show is labeled under the sci-fi, fantasy category but introduces very real, dangerous concepts to the 10-12 year old age group. A trap for those who do not understand spiritual concepts and a dulling agent for those who are spiritually aware. ( I Corinthians 2:14, 3:1).
The bigger picture is this, if you are an unbeliever, this type of subject matter will just sink you further into lies, deception and spiritual darkness. If you are a believer, it should agitate you, you should feel the prickly hairs on the back of your neck, you should reject it and not let it dull your conscience.
This material is a warning to a believer. When you walk with God in obedience, your conscience grows stronger, when you reject His direction and ways, your conscience gets weaker. So next time a book or a movie is recommended, vet it and ask, is this really good for me spiritually? We wish we would have turned the tube off at episode 1 and never moved forward, this post is our way to repent and inform others. Let us take every thought captive to Christ -2 Corinthians 10:5.
A great test of conscience is to go look on those book store or book case shelves or Netflix shows and see how much of it is oriented to these themes. Then ask yourself the question, how much does this bother me? As a christian it should bother you intensely, as God hates these practises. Duet. 18:10, Gal 5:19-21. I Samuel 15:23-. We should resist the all too crafty persuasion used in peer pressure that, 'everyone is watching it' and to not be a 'prude'. As a Christian are we to be set apart or follow the world's ways? (Romans 12:2)
Ephesians 6:13 says to stand against this evil. The only way we can do that is by verse 14, putting on Godliness (saying no) and using the sword of the Spirit (His word) which we chose to do throughout this post. I pray now as verse 18 says to do, that we may be alert on all occasions.
If you are a parent, please think deeply on the content your child is surrounded with and protect, educate and pray for them as they traverse their way through the world. Life's too short to spend time wasted on content that doesn't benefit you.
As Christians we have the bigger Picture, the following analogy may help you when you are tempted to recommend or view content that contains spiritual flaws which wear away instead of uplift. Our friends, family and children should mean more to us than entertaining the flesh. The truth told is always best.
Imagine you are walking on a narrow cliff (following God) if you walk too far to the right or left you will fall but if you follow the path straight forward you will not stumble. As you walk, you see other people hanging off of the cliff, you are unable to reach out a hand but God reaches his hand out to everyone, Some choose to take it, others blinded by their ignorance, will remain hanging on to the cliffs edge. You may stumble but if you hold on to God you will not fall. Mathew 7:14.
Further Reading:
Articles have been written stating this show has Christian themes. On the contrary, Read this linked article for the truth.
NOTE: Alex and I wrote this post together. Hence, the 'I' and 'we' grammatical format. We now this isn't technically correct to do, but we did it regardless.
We leave this post with this encouraging verse:
"Think on these things, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable. If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, THINK ON THESE THINGS." Philippians 4:8.
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