Hebrews 13:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?
It is a regular part of my life where I am examining what my inputs are. We have heard the statistics of "you are the 5 people you are closest too." This has proven true on multiple counts. The thing we rarely take into account with that statistic is the influence of our various sources of media. For the person who is sat down bingeing season after season of their favorite show, or even for the person who is a religious spectator of a single episode a day, the time spent with those fictional characters is influential into who you are. It is as one preacher put it, "The human was not designed to live their life vicariously."
The reason I have found myself so cautious with what I allow to input with me is that I have seen the influence these things have on me and those around me. Have you ever done something out of character for yourself while watching a show? Perhaps you shouted at your TV. Maybe you have found yourself angry because certain characters are acting a certain way. Maybe you have cried or even laughed at things you wouldn't have normally. All of this is influenced. I would see how I would be drawn to certain personality types and I would try to be more like them. The thing that set me off in this regard was when I recognized that the main character to a show I was watching was a more attractive personality to me than that of Jesus. I knew I had to draw a line.
In conversation I have had with many people concerning the input they allow in their lives, I have not met a single individual who has been able to convince me that what they are taking in is not influencing their lives. At the heart of it, almost every person has seen and can see that these inputs are influencing them. The deception is that people believe they can change nothing but their awareness of the influence and hope that is enough to overcome its influence. That is not true. I, and many others like me, have attempted such a feat, only to be sorely disappointed one bad influence after another.
I will not be so bold as to say in a devotion that you ought to toss out your TV and stop listening to any secular music whatsoever. I will not be so bold as to instruct you in anyway concerning the influences of your life. I will, however, be so bold as to challenge you to meet with the Lord and ask Him to reveal anything that is not glorifying to Him in your life. Be honest with God, and be humble enough to receive from Him. Cutting such things from our lives is sacrifice. The sacrifice itself is not pleasing to Him. The heart behind it is. I pray that all of us can give an honest assessment of our lives and what we are influenced by. As a result, I pray that we may lead holy lifestyles that others may replicate. May we all be able to share with Paul in the charge, "Follow me as I follow Christ."
What application are you implementing today?
The reason I have found myself so cautious with what I allow to input with me is that I have seen the influence these things have on me and those around me. Have you ever done something out of character for yourself while watching a show? Perhaps you shouted at your TV. Maybe you have found yourself angry because certain characters are acting a certain way. Maybe you have cried or even laughed at things you wouldn't have normally. All of this is influenced. I would see how I would be drawn to certain personality types and I would try to be more like them. The thing that set me off in this regard was when I recognized that the main character to a show I was watching was a more attractive personality to me than that of Jesus. I knew I had to draw a line.
In conversation I have had with many people concerning the input they allow in their lives, I have not met a single individual who has been able to convince me that what they are taking in is not influencing their lives. At the heart of it, almost every person has seen and can see that these inputs are influencing them. The deception is that people believe they can change nothing but their awareness of the influence and hope that is enough to overcome its influence. That is not true. I, and many others like me, have attempted such a feat, only to be sorely disappointed one bad influence after another.
I will not be so bold as to say in a devotion that you ought to toss out your TV and stop listening to any secular music whatsoever. I will not be so bold as to instruct you in anyway concerning the influences of your life. I will, however, be so bold as to challenge you to meet with the Lord and ask Him to reveal anything that is not glorifying to Him in your life. Be honest with God, and be humble enough to receive from Him. Cutting such things from our lives is sacrifice. The sacrifice itself is not pleasing to Him. The heart behind it is. I pray that all of us can give an honest assessment of our lives and what we are influenced by. As a result, I pray that we may lead holy lifestyles that others may replicate. May we all be able to share with Paul in the charge, "Follow me as I follow Christ."
What application are you implementing today?
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Hebrews 13:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?
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Archive
2026
January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
April
Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
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