What is a 30-Day Secular Media Fast?

What if the noise of godless media is drowning out the voice of God? Not all media is bad... but maybe the distraction away from God is making harder to hear and see God at work.

This is a journey of a group of high school students who have committed to take 30 days to focus on God through God-centered media. This includes TV, movies, books, magazines, smart phone apps, and many social media outlets.

Here, you can follow their stories, their lives, and their challenges. Feel free to leave comments and encouragement.

Read
Relate
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Saturday, March 15, 2014

Giving Up Your Gleaming Sheep

"What if I told you that every sin you are struggling with, every discouragement you are dealing with, even the lack of purpose you're living with are because of idolatry?"
-- Kyle Idleman, gods at war

Recently I read the book by the author above, gods at war. The book deals with the subject of idolatry, and it touched my heart in a way I wasn't expecting.
     I admit, this year I was a whole lot more reluctant to do the media fast than I was last year. I had just started rereading the Harry Potter series again, and I wasn't ready to just let go of my books, among other things, for a month.
     This problem arose much earlier than February, however. I remember how excited I was to find out one of top ten favorite books, Divergent, was going to become a movie. My best friend had just started reading the trilogy, and she and I had plans to see the movie at midnight for my birthday, because it came out in March. It took a while for that problem to kick in, however. I had forgotten March was media fast month, which meant no movie for Jael and I.
     And when I realized that, it reminded me that the only TV show I had ever shown enough interest in, Once Upon a Time, was coming back in March.
     I told myself there was no way I could do it this year. It would be too much work. I was making idols of these things, and it took me too long to realize that. A conversation with my mom helped me understand.
     In our lives, we have dirty, helpless sheep that don't mean much to us, and then we have beautiful, award-winning, gleaming sheep that we put on our top shelf to admire. Remembering that love is sacrifice, and the incredible sacrifice Jesus made for us, I realized that in order to get closer to him, I first had to give up my gleaming sheep that was taking God's place. In my case, I would have to give up my books, my show, and my movie.
     This month, I am so happy to have made the right choice. I want -- need -- God to be the center of my life, and he can help me sacrifice that beautiful sheep for Him.
     Thank you all, and I pray everyone will have a great last half of the media fast!

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