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Invisible Powers – Loose Yourself and Run - http://amzn.to/KWqWWz Reality Shows – A Huge Hit – What’s Behind It? Why do over 700 million viewers watch reality television shows every day? What could be so fascinating that these TV shows capture and captivate so many people? Capture means to seize by force or trickery. Captivate means to attract and charm and charm means something with magic power. I don’t think people are hog-tied and forced to sit in front of the television and watch. So let’s break this down some. Just recently I asked a middle aged woman if she watched reality TV. She confessed she did and believed all her friends did also. When I asked her why, this is what she shared. She said, “I watched it once and got hooked, now I’m drawn to watch these shows over and over.” I said to her, “So, you’re addicted?” “Yes”, she answered, “I look forward to the next reality show that comes on.” I asked her then; if you are not spending your time watching reality TV where else do you spend your free time. Her answer was “Either texting someone or talking on my cell phone.” So we’re looking at sitting in front of a television tube or looking at text on a tiny screen called a cell phone or talking through that phone to someone. Whatever happened to a face to face conversation? Whatever happened to reading a good book? I asked her if she talks to her son much. Her answer was, “No, when he’s around, even when we’re eating, his face is in the cell phone texting his friends.” Another consideration to think about; are these reality shows really reality to you? The way people live their lives; do you desire to emulate them? One show that teens watch is filled with drinking, sex, fighting and heartache. What message is this sending out to your teen? When back talk, rebellion or violence enters your home through what channel did that enter? If we lend our minds and thoughts to mockery, unkind words, cynicism, sarcasm, anger and moral indecency what can we expect to reap for our souls when we walk away? If you plant an apple seed does a lemon tree grow? If you spray insect repellant on a sponge do you say to the sponge “Do not soak that up, for I bought you to only soak up water?” When you deliberately sprayed the toxic chemical on the sponge it has no choice but to soak up what it came in contact with. It’s the same with our minds. Often time’s people get lost in TV shows in order to get away from reality. They are already in stressful circumstances and situations and they’re looking for an avenue of relief, even temporary cessation of the difficulty. This is why we have so many alcoholics and drug addicts, even porn addicts and gamblers, you name it. People are being tricked by the droves involving themselves in all kinds of what I call time and life wasters. Kids will look at their favorite singer, movie star or sports model. When they see turmoil, chaos, sexual innuendos and blatant disrespect they have a choice to make. Do I want to follow in their footsteps and do those things which frankly I do not honor or do I want to use what I see to help me determine my steps. In other words; are we able to look at our mentor or someone we admire and divide correctly the holy from the profane? Or are we able to tell the difference? Reality shows if nothing else should make us think not just be entertaining. If we look at someone else’s life and can say, “I do not want to do those things and end up like that person.” If we can say, “I find that kind of talk disgusting and not conducive to my vision or personality”, then we’ve taken a negative and learned from it. Unfortunately God knew much of the time we were not strong enough to do the dividing to where it was in our favor. He knew if we continually gave our attention over to the devil’s crowd we would end up just like them. Wow, is that too harsh, I just jumped in there and labeled certain behavior as likened unto the devil. Well, guess what. God himself identified those people who make certain choices in life which mock the righteous, use curse words and laugh at things that are sacred. He said they are emulating their father, the devil who does these things. Accruing unsavory by- products comes when you choose to pattern your behavior and your life after the world and its followers rather than God and his followers. With everything and everyone no matter where we view or hear about them, it’s important to be able to divide and choose which qualities in them are worth adopting and which ones we immediately throw out as undesirable. I watched a part of a reality show once just to see what all the hoopla was about. I immediately picked up that these armatures were more exhibitionists than just walking out their normal lives in front of a camera. By that I mean, simply looking and acting stupid, playing up to the camera for their fifteen minutes of fame and hopeful entertainment. I knew I had a better place to put my time and felt a little silly watching. I miss quality programming myself and wish really good, quality movies could return to us, without the hand grabbing for money per movie. I personally believe that society deserves better than turning their minds over to sneak peeks at how someone else lives their life hour after hour. Are viewers wrestling with feelings of inadequacy for not having a lavish lifestyle and designer everything or is it just the opposite that they view in order to pity the way people treat one another and consider themselves superior? Maybe it’s neither. It seems to be fun to spy out someone else’s activities. Ask yourself this; if no one was watching, would these people really be doing and saying the things they are? When I was very young I used to watch a certain soap opera five days a week. One day I realized the show was the same thing over and over, just a different day and a slight different circumstance and I saw how hooked I had become and knew it was a matter of taking control over my mind and emotions and I turned instead to reading. I’ve never regretted the decision and have grown so much in all areas of my life. I believe it’s extremely important where we lend our minds as well as our time. It’s a ploy of Satan to get us to place our minds beneath our dignity so he can use them for his playground. He desires we become addicted to that which he authored rather than what God authored. I’m thinking of what God told us in Philippians 4:8. He said “Fix your thoughts on things which are pure, lovely and a good report in others.” He did say put your thoughts on things that are true. Reality shows may be the true characters or members of a certain family but which traits do we desire to adopt that they portray and which ones do we want to dismiss? Are reality shows here to stay? Who knows? When they are cost effective producers look to the bottom line and produce what makes the most money. People look at the entertainment of nosing in on someone else’s life. God can use them to show us how others choose to live their lives and what their decisions cost them. The devil uses reality shows to get people to emulate the less attractive habits and behavior of others. Are reality shows addictive? Perhaps; I'll leave that one up to you. For me, I’m sticking to good Christian books. If you are looking for reality that will bring you many aha moments as you read about other people’s lives and how they live it, you’ll really enjoy reading ‘Invisible Powers – Loose Yourself and Run.’ It’s about three world powers; God, Satan and you. You will see places where God has been speaking to you all along and you’ll also discover how Satan has laid a path in front of you and constantly devises ways to trick, captivate and charm you into hearing his voice instead of God’s. You will also delightfully discover how powerful you are and what beautiful free gifts God has given you, most of which you have never picked up and used. When you do you will know the power God placed inside you and you’ll finally feel your purpose like never before. You’ll see it’s not about magic it’s about knowing who you are in Christ and discerning the authority that’s yours to use. Get this eBook “Invisible Powers – Loose Yourself and Run” or get it for a loved one as a gift. Go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0081IL1HY |
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