My Facebook trending feed tells me today that over 1 million people are talking about Arnold Schwarzenegger taking a photo with his son. Yes, you read that correctly. A man took a photo with his son and the whole world is talking about it. What are they doing in the photo? They are celebrating the young man's 21st birthday in Munich with steins of beer. They are smiling. They look like a typical father-son pair. So, why is this photo getting so much attention? One word: scandal. This boy represents a scandalous affair between Schwarzenegger and his former housekeeper, while he was married to Maria Shriver, so now anything having to do with him is "scandalous". It's sad, and it's sick. As believers we are not to play into the hype surrounding scandal among our public figures. There is something else we are instructed to do, and it will keep our minds pure.
#scripturetiein
Our obsession with scandal has always been a problem, but has gotten out of hand with the inception of the internet. Recently I watched the Amanda Knox documentary and was overwhelmed by the injustice Ms. Knox had to endure because there were those who enjoyed speculating about her sexual habits, so much so that they concocted complete fabrications in order to sell newspapers and log views. Amanda has since been acquitted by the Italian Supreme Court for the murder she was charged with, but these allegations of sexual deviance will follow her all of her life. Similarly, this young man, this son of Arnold and his former housekeeper, will never NOT be known as the love child that came from an elicit affair. He will go on to likely work and have his own family and make his own mistakes, but to the general public he will always be that love child. It isn't right. We know it isn't right. And yet, it seems, we can never get enough of it. What we allow our minds to dwell on and perpetuate has a direct result on our faithfulness to God. We can become corrupted by immoral thoughts and gossip, making our witness vulnerable. So what should we allow our minds to dwell on, instead?
Philippians 4:8 instructs us in this way:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
The author of the letters to Philippi is instructing the believers there, and all of us to set our minds on the beautiful benefits of lives well lived in Christ. For every scandal you read about in the news or on the web, there are untold stories of unsung godly med and women who have spoken truth to Satan's lies. There are people who are honorable, and promote social justice. There are those who are striving after holiness with their whole hearts. There are situations and relationships that are just so lovely to behold. There are people who deserve commendation for their strong faith and good service. There is excellence in the body of Christ. The world around us contains so much evidence of God, and His worthiness of our praise! These are the things that should fill our minds so much, that there is not room to dwell on scandal.
#liveitPhilippians 4:8 instructs us in this way:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
The author of the letters to Philippi is instructing the believers there, and all of us to set our minds on the beautiful benefits of lives well lived in Christ. For every scandal you read about in the news or on the web, there are untold stories of unsung godly med and women who have spoken truth to Satan's lies. There are people who are honorable, and promote social justice. There are those who are striving after holiness with their whole hearts. There are situations and relationships that are just so lovely to behold. There are people who deserve commendation for their strong faith and good service. There is excellence in the body of Christ. The world around us contains so much evidence of God, and His worthiness of our praise! These are the things that should fill our minds so much, that there is not room to dwell on scandal.
This is a discipline. We are conditioned from a young age to latch on to a juicy story and dwell on it, or even perpetuate it. Think of the rumors that floated around your elementary, middle, and high school. To specifically think on the positive and not ruminate on the negative, is a discipline. Here's my suggestion, and something I plan to start today. Keep a daily journal that looks like this:
#prayer
- True:
- Honorable:
- Just:
- Pure:
- Lovely:
- Commendable:
- Excellent:
- Worthy of Praise:
and take a few notes for each bullet point. If you can't think of anything you directly observed, use the web for good, and find stories online. They are out there. You just need to sift through all the gossip and vitriol to get to them. Eventually, if you make this a daily ritual, your mind will start to become keen to looking for these things every day, knowing you will be taking note of them later. In this way, you can start to undo the conditioning of looking for, and reveling in other people's scandals.
#prayer
Holy and precious Father,
I am so tempted to click the bait for each story of a celebrity who has missed the moral mark, and to cast judgments. When I fill my mind with this I become negative, and pessimistic, and judmental. There is no room for goodness and mercy and hope! Lord, I repent of this now, and ask You to guide me and give me discernment to notice the stories of heavenly note around me.
Amen
I am so tempted to click the bait for each story of a celebrity who has missed the moral mark, and to cast judgments. When I fill my mind with this I become negative, and pessimistic, and judmental. There is no room for goodness and mercy and hope! Lord, I repent of this now, and ask You to guide me and give me discernment to notice the stories of heavenly note around me.
Amen
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