Godliness - A Study on Morality - Amy Lawrence

Godliness

A Study on Morality

Most, if not all, watch television. A 2015 study shows that the average American household contains 2.3 televisions. (I wonder how big a .3 tv is, too.) We spend a great deal of our leisure time watching movies, shows, YouTube videos, the list is endless. (I don’t know about other moms, but I put on shows such as Andy Griffith while I’m cleaning house. It has to be something I’ve already seen, or I will get distracted and stand with my cleaning gloves on and a washcloth in my hand while staring at the screen.) It’s a form of entertainment just about every American knows and in which we participate, and it can be addictive. “Binge watching” is a thing. 

Television has also become a political platform and a way to see the moral state of the nation. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) created a rating system that is today used by both the MPAA and the TV Parental Guidelines. The ratings give us an idea of the content of the video in question. From bad language and use of drugs and/or alcohol to sexual innuendoes, scenes, and even nudity, a rating is given as to how much if any of these are in the things we find to watch. Every tv watching adult that pays attention can see how morality has degraded since the invention of the television and how useless these ratings have become. Today, there are more movies and television shows containing nudity, violence, drugs, foul language, and sexual immorality than ever before. It not only is frequent, but it is readily accessible to anyone, regardless of age or rating. Parents these days rarely pay attention to a rating. What that rating doesn’t give us is whether or not a political/ moral agenda is hidden within the video. History has shown that the use of propaganda can be and has been persuasive to the point of turning the majority of a society in the direction a minority has chosen. Those who create movies and television shows tend to use this viewing system as an opportunity to promote their opinions; that of their political opinions as well as their moral. LGBTQ, Woke, environmentalism, humanism, evolutionism, politics…whether they are just hints or whether it’s being shoved down our throats, there isn’t a tv show or a movie that doesn’t have some agenda in it. By that, one can see that Godliness has taken a drastic nosedive here in the US over the past half-century…and our children are the main audience.

How does this affect Godliness? We’ll have to find out what Godliness is before we can get into that. (Our study will be predicated upon an assumption that the reader knows God.) Its definition, as found in the only reliable source of knowledge concerning God, is “piety, specially in the course of the gospel; godliness, holiness”. The original Greek word primarily used in the New Testament is εὐσέβεια (eusebeia), from εὐσεβής (eusebes), which is a compound of the words εὺ (eu) and σέβομαι (sebomai), “well-reverent”. To put it in 21st century American English, godliness is being greatly devout or very religious. Notice I said ‘primarily’ this word is used. Only once in the New Testament is another word used for ‘godliness’. This word is much more specific. In 1 Tim. 2:10, the Holy Spirit used θεοσέβεια (theosebeia), “devotion to GOD”. (The subject of the New Testament is the God of Israel, so εὐσέβεια is also understood to pertain to God as per context.) Therefore, Godliness is dedication in word and deed to the One True and Living God, living the lifestyle described in His word. Now let’s get back to our original question: how does what we watch on a screen affect Godliness? It all begins and ends in the mind.

Scripture has a lot to say about the mind. In many places, the context describes how what we put into our minds determines what comes out of our minds (Lk. 6:45). Powerful things, our thoughts are. Thoughts become actions, actions become behavior, behavior becomes character. When one’s character is Godly, then one has made decisions, actions, and behavior according to the pattern of Godliness laid out in scripture by the Holy Spirit. What we put into our brains builds the habits of our thoughts. Let’s view our brains as the digestive system of our character and compare it to an actual human digestive system. What kind of activities can the human body perform if the only foods going into it are junk foods? What if the only exercise a body gets over a prolonged period are thumbs on a remote control or the number of steps from the couch to the bathroom? Would you expect that body to be able to overcome or escape a home invader? Satan’s #1 goal is to invade our minds. Most let him in the front door without even having to knock because their minds want what he is selling. Their brain is already cluttered with junk, and junk never fully satisfies…so more and more is needed to keep that high. It becomes an insatiable addiction. Good food and good activity not only increases the quantity of our life, it increases its quality as well. The same goes for our spiritual diet. James wrote, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21)

We now know where to find the food for a healthy spirit, but how do we ingest it? The same way we would ingest an elephant: one bite at a time. Daily study and practice, Godly company, and a mindset toward living for Christ are all necessary for spiritual nutrition. Over time, one will find that life is fuller, hope is stronger, courage is mastered, and relationships with the people of God are brilliantly fulfilling. You’ll barely even notice that you haven’t looked at your phone for hours. Don Blackwell once said, “There are so many noises in our world. We live in a noisy world, don’t we? And I’m not just talking about our auditory world. There’s a lot of things competing for our attention, a lot of things to distract us. We are the most distracted people, surely, ever that has existed. We need to start the day with ‘Dear Lord, I know there’s going to be a lot of stuff out there competing for my attention, but I want YOUR voice to be the loudest one in my ears.” One must be familiar with the sound of God’s voice in order to recognize it. One must first have a desire to know God. Paul, when visiting Athens, discovered an idol dedicated “To the Unknown God”, Acts 17:16-34. He declared to them that the One True God they didn’t know can be found because He is not far away, verses 24-28. Next, one must also put effort into learning and understanding. The Ethiopian eunuch of Acts 8:26-40 was reading Isaiah 53 as he was on his way home from Jerusalem. He struggled to understand what he was reading. Sometimes, we all have this same struggle. It is important to not only be humble in asking for help, but it is equally important who we ask. The Holy Spirit sent Philip to the eunuch, just as the Holy Spirit has sent us elders, preachers, and teachers, Eph. 4:11. Be careful, though, because we are commanded to make sure these are speaking truth, 1 Jn. 4:1. How? The same way the Bereans did, Acts 17:11. Finally, we must live what we learn. We have the instruction book, 2 Pet. 1:3. There is indeed a lot to learn, and it can be overwhelming sometimes, but know that we have the God that loves us, the Lord that saved us, and the Spirit to guide us. Self-examination can help at times to assess. There are tells of whether or not one is living a life rich in Godliness: spiritual fruit, Gal. 5:22-23. 

There will be mistakes made. We are told in 1 Jn. 1:8 that anyone that says they do not make mistakes is not being truthful. A Godly heart is one that is turned toward God. David wrote, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Ps. 51:17) James said, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8) The great thing is, we have fellowship with one another, and we have the continual cleansing of Christ’s blood after baptism, 1 Jn. 1:7. We’re a family. We have the Father that has given us the blueprint for a morally enriched and satisfying existence within this family. Come and be a part of this, Rev. 22:17.