A Dangerous Snare For Christians

The Christian has discovered one book truer and more precious than all the rest together. Let the Bible be to us the book of books—the one book in all the world whose every verse is wisdom. In studying it, be sure to take it for what it really is—the revelation of the thoughts of God, given us in the words of God. Knowing that we have divine thoughts embodied in divine words—we sit down to the study of the heavenly volume, assured that we shall find the perfection of wisdom in all of its teachings.

Let us read and re-read the Scriptures—meditating on them day and night.

They never grow old, they never lose their sap, they never run dry.

Though it is right and profitable to read other books, if they are true and good—yet beware of reading too many. Do not let man's book thrust God's book into a corner! Do not let commentaries smother the text—nor let the good, shut out the best.

Especially beware of light reading! Shun novels—they are the literary curse of the age! If you are a parent—keep novels out of the way of your children. Neither read them yourself, nor set an example of novel-reading to others. Do not let novels lie on your table, or be seen in your hand. The reading of the light novels of the day, has done deep injury to many:

    vitiating their taste,

    enervating their minds,

    unfitting them for life's plain work,

    eating out their love for the Bible,

    teaching them a false morality, and

    creating in the soul an unreal standard of truth, and beauty, and love.

Do not be too fond of the newspaper. Extract matter for thought and prayer out of all that you read.

Let your reading be always select—and whatever you read, begin with seeking God's blessing on it.

But see that your relish for the Bible is above every other enjoyment. The moment you begin to feel greater relish for any other book—lay it down until you have sought deliverance from such a snare, and obtained from the Holy Spirit a more intense relish, and a keener appetite for the Word of God!

Horatius Bonar's words are not only true with regard to what we read, but they are also true with regard to what we watch and what we listen to. When we do not exercise discernment over what we watch, what we read, or what we listen to, we allow ourselves to be influenced and corrupted by it. This is absolutely the case even more so when what we consume with our eyes, mind, and ears is done in bulk. The more ungodly, frivolous material that we watch, read, or listen to, the more trash we fill ourselves with. As one of Petra's songs is titled, Garbage In, Garbage Out. What you take in, what you put into yourself, will eventually come out.

Novels might be the literary curse of the age, but movies and television are the visual curse of the age while music is the audible curse of the age. Horatius Bonar's warning, "Neither read them yourself, nor set an example of novel-reading to others," is sound advice even regarding movies and music. Beware of what it is you are watching and what it is you are listening to. Do not subject your eyes, ears, or mind to godless material that will slowly but surely draw you away from the Saviour and into an unholy life of sin.

The watching of light television and the listening of light music has also done deep injury to many:
    vitiating their taste,

    enervating their minds,

    unfitting them for life's plain work,

    eating out their love for the Bible,

    teaching them a false morality, and

    creating in the soul an unreal standard of truth, and beauty, and love.

Television and novels constantly bombard you with all sorts of immorality, pressing it upon you, repeating the lies that a little is okay. Pick any television show or movie and I could point out to you all the subtleties designed to do you harm. If you repeat a lie loud enough, long enough, and often enough, people will eventually believe it. Even Christians, if they have nothing to combat it with. That is what television and novels are designed to do. If you have ever watched Perfect Strangers before, cousin Larry is a pathological liar and schemer, always trying to deceive Balki. The "white lies" and the things that are marginalized as being acceptable slowly influence who and what you are and how you think and behave. And today's television shows are worse than ever! If you do not have more Bible in you than you do television and novels, you are bound to start imitating the world and being just like them, trying to justify your sin in self-righteousness.

Apply Horatius Bonar's wisdom: "Extract matter for thought and prayer out of all that you read." If you can pray the following prayer over the things you watch, then by all means watch them.

"Dear Lord, we invite You to come join us in this time of viewing. As Your children, we commit this time to You as worthy of our attention. May our family be uplifted by this hour before the screen. And, Lord, we pray that families everywhere would have the opportunity to do likewise. We thank You for providing this program for us, and we ask You to bless the men and women who produced this show and those who made it available. May they have Your blessings to do more of the same. In Jesus' name, we thank You, Amen."

This pray can also be applied to what you listen to and what you read. You are what you read; you are what you watch, and you are what you listen to. Garbage in, garbage out. It is not "just a book"; it is not "just a movie"; and it is not "just a song." It is an influence on who and what you are and how you think, behave, and believe. Beware of these dangerous snares to Christians!