A Little Leaven

When it comes to choosing to indulge in a little entertainment, it sometimes seems that, as a Christian, there is very little to choose from.  It’s true that sometimes it takes a little more effort and a little less complacency to find appropriate subject matter, but it can be done.  The real question then becomes, will we choose rightly.  Will we choose what will please and honor God, or will we be rebellious and do whatever we want, then try and justify our choice?  Isn’t that a bit overboard – honor God?  Yes, honor (respect) God with our choices.  We abstain and refrain from saying and doing a great deal for the sake of honoring other people.

If our Pastor comes to dinner, we don’t fight and fuss with each other, gossip, or forget to bless the food.  That honors our Pastor.  We visit people in their homes and refrain from some of the things we do at home (drink out of the milk jug, sweep crumbs in the floor, or leave our empty plate on the coffee table).  That honors our host and hostess.

God has done an awful lot for us, starting with giving us life, and then eternal life.  But God has rules.  Just like all rules, they often get in the way of what we want to do.  We all know the “not so bad” argument – the movie is R rated, but it’s just a little sex, nudity, or whatever else there is.  The TV show is really funny; it just has one same sex married couple.  The book is so intriguing and suspenseful; there are just a couple of people that steal cars and rob banks.

God would not approve.  Why?  Because He is mean?  No.  Galatians 5:9 says, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”  That means a little bit of forbidden fruit corrupts.  In the Old Testament, God repeatedly warned the Israelites not to mingle with the pagan people because He knew they would lead His people astray, but they would not listen, and the same thing happened over and over.  They would intermarry with the pagan people and be lead into idol worship.

Again, is that extreme?  Not really.  The more things you allow and excuse, the farther you will fall.  It happens as a little of this and a little of that, and before you know it, you are very far away from where you started, and where you want to be.  You can come back to God, and He will accept you, but we would do well to choose wisely in the first place and keep our hearts undivided.