Music and movies.....what should i do??...what would you do??? or....

[maxineshaw]

what have you done?


I am about to go through all of my music and movies and throw out anything that is not pleasing to the Lord. I know it's the right thing to do because I can sense the presence of the Holy Spirit. I feel like listening to music and watching movies that aren't pleasing to God is corrupting my soul. So, I've decided to get rid of it. I want a stronger relationship with God, and I can't do it with these things in my life.


I'm just wondering, do you all think it's that serious? I mean, I've already made my decision, but have you ever felt the need to a literal cleaning of your house because something was interfering with your relationship with God?

 

[maxineshaw]

Ugh, why did I open the door? Now my mother is making fun of me. She is also angry at me because of what I am doing. She wants some of my movies but I refuse to give them to her because they are a problem for me. She says that because they aren't a problem for her I should go ahead and give them to her. The whole point is that I don't want them in the house.

Mom: Okay MD, I'll remember you for that.
MD (me): You do that.

Why can't she just respect my decision and not try and guilt me? *sigh*

 

[Aviah]

I did the same. Got rid of all the Busta Rhymes, Alicia Keys, Aaliyah, etc. My mom was also mad at me. Fact is, we gotta do it for ourselves and God if its getting in the way. Keep praying for your mom and really try to not argue. Its something I still work on but it was hard because she didn't seem to understand me or approve of the big decisions I made in my life. However things are better, I just still have a temper.
Pray for her, show her love, and still maintain your stance in Christ. If she's not saved pray for her salvation, and demonstrate yours so she can learn from it. My mom went from hating the idea of Church (though she believes in God) to coming to mine once. She also went from not even having a Bible in the house for years, to reading it some nights, and even prayed with me once. Its small steps but the fervent prayers of the righteous avail much.
You can do it, God is your strength.

 

[Pooks]

I did a similar cleanse after watching Craige Lewis' Truth About Hip Hop series, it really hurt to destroy (literally break) alot of my CDs, but I know I have benefited from it. What we listen to, watch, speak, surround ourselves with, it is all 'absorbed'. I am not saying you can never listen to any music other than gospel, just that we are to be aware of the potential effects of anything we let in our eye and ear-gates. People around you may not understand, but you have to do what is best for you spiritually. God bless OP.

 

[blazingthru]

I did the same thing threw it all away. I can't contribute to someone elses sin. if they choose to go out and buy the movies then thats on them but I will not add on to their sin. Thats the reason why I threw all my CDs and movies in the trash. some of those movies cost a lot a lot I probably threw away over a couple of thousand dollars worth of stuff. I do not regret it at all.
1 thess 5:16
16 Rejoice always;
17 pray without ceasing;
18 in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward.
19 Quench not the Spirit;
20 despise not prophesyings;
21 prove all things; hold fast that which is good;
22 abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thess 5:16-22 (ASV)

 

[empressaja]

I did the same thing. I stopped listening to them but held on to them becuase some of the music was "classic" but God dealt with me about it and I threw all of them away. I then threw away all the books that fit into that similar category. Folks hads things to say but I was obedient and that was more important to me than what they were saying. I truly felt God telling to get rid of that stuff.

~Blessings~

 

[Raspberry]

what have you done?


I am about to go through all of my music and movies and throw out anything that is not pleasing to the Lord. I know it's the right thing to do because I can sense the presence of the Holy Spirit. I feel like listening to music and watching movies that aren't pleasing to God is corrupting my soul. So, I've decided to get rid of it. I want a stronger relationship with God, and I can't do it with these things in my life.


I'm just wondering, do you all think it's that serious? I mean, I've already made my decision, but have you ever felt the need to a literal cleaning of your house because something was interfering with your relationship with God?

If you feel the Spirit is convicting you, you really should do it..
I heard someone say once that if we obey God when he prompts with these small thing, that He will reward us with revealing Himself more frequently and powerfully. Obedience is a big deal, even in these small things. The flip side is that if we silence our conscience too often we can become dull of hearing ..which is a slippery slope, plus being sensitive to the Spirit is a precious privilege and we should guard ourselves to protect it..

I don't listen to the radio and only watch a little television. I love movies but I had to start heeding the conviction I was feeling about certain ones. Like when I'm renting one nowadays I can sense which ones I should avoid -I've even turned off some in the middle of watching because I felt convicted. Others may not understand but that doesn't matter - I just know that maintaining a pure heart and clear mind and conscience before God isn't always easy but well worth the effort.

 

[CoilyFields]

Why was I convicted in this same way about the romance novels I had always enjoyed? I wasnt reading Zane...anymore...but some of the little love scenes still qualify as pornography. Doggone it that was a hard one for me...but now when I want to read a novel I grab one of the CHristian Fiction ones.

It is so worth it to be obedient to the prompting of the Holy Ghost!

 

[Raspberry]

I even feel uneasy at times when I'm spending too long on this website..too much time meditating on things that don't bear fruit and talking nonsense. It's hard sometimes but I've gotten a lot better at stepping away from the monitor or forcing myself to do more productive things (research, financial stuff, Christian articles, etc).

 

[Duchesse]

I haven't done that yet, but I have deleted many songs off of my Ipod. It's a constant struggle though, everything, I can't even lie.

 

[PinkPebbles]

If you feel the Spirit is convicting you, you really should do it..
I heard someone say once that if we obey God when he prompts with these small thing, that He will reward us with revealing Himself more frequently and powerfully. Obedience is a big deal, even in these small things. The flip side is that if we silence our conscience too often we can become dull of hearing ..which is a slippery slope, plus being sensitive to the Spirit is a precious privilege and we should guard ourselves to protect it..

I don't listen to the radio and only watch a little television. I love movies but I had to start heeding the conviction I was feeling about certain ones. Like when I'm renting one nowadays I can sense which ones I should avoid -I've even turned off some in the middle of watching because I felt convicted. Others may not understand but that doesn't matter - I just know that maintaining a pure heart and clear mind and conscience before God isn't always easy but well worth the effort.

@ the bolded thank you! In total agreement.

 

[MA2010]

I did a similar cleanse after watching Craige Lewis' Truth About Hip Hop series, it really hurt to destroy (literally break) alot of my CDs, but I know I have benefited from it. What we listen to, watch, speak, surround ourselves with, it is all 'absorbed'. I am not saying you can never listen to any music other than gospel, just that we are to be aware of the potential effects of anything we let in our eye and ear-gates. People around you may not understand, but you have to do what is best for you spiritually. God bless OP.

I did the same thing after watching the same video sis !!!

I really don't miss any of it either. My mind and soul are free and open, not clouded by all that other stuff.

I feel I'm only better for it.

 

[HeChangedMyName]

I even feel uneasy at times when I'm spending too long on this website..too much time meditating on things that don't bear fruit and talking nonsense. It's hard sometimes but I've gotten a lot better at stepping away from the monitor or forcing myself to do more productive things (research, financial stuff, Christian articles, etc).

Now that's the truth right there.

If you feel the Spirit is convicting you, you really should do it..
I heard someone say once that if we obey God when he prompts with these small thing, that He will reward us with revealing Himself more frequently and powerfully. Obedience is a big deal, even in these small things. The flip side is that if we silence our conscience too often we can become dull of hearing ..which is a slippery slope, plus being sensitive to the Spirit is a precious privilege and we should guard ourselves to protect it..

I don't listen to the radio and only watch a little television. I love movies but I had to start heeding the conviction I was feeling about certain ones. Like when I'm renting one nowadays I can sense which ones I should avoid -I've even turned off some in the middle of watching because I felt convicted. Others may not understand but that doesn't matter - I just know that maintaining a pure heart and clear mind and conscience before God isn't always easy but well worth the effort.

Mark 12:30
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

1 Samuel 15:22
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

 

[tailormade84]

I've done it before and I feel it is very necessary.

The closer you get to God, the less you even wanna listen/look at things at are displeasing to Him, even if its just a hook in a song or a scene in a movie. Im at the point now where its literally distrubing to me, but i began my filtering process over 8 years ago.

Here's a link to a helpful article by John Piper about how the subject entitled "Why I Don’t Have a Television and Rarely Go to Movies".....http://www.desiringgod.org/Resource...nt_Have_a_Television_and_Rarely_Go_to_Movies/

 

[Pooks]

I even feel uneasy at times when I'm spending too long on this website..too much time meditating on things that don't bear fruit and talking nonsense. It's hard sometimes but I've gotten a lot better at stepping away from the monitor or forcing myself to do more productive things (research, financial stuff, Christian articles, etc).

So true, I still need to balance better in this area at times.

I did the same thing after watching the same video sis !!!

I really don't miss any of it either. My mind and soul are free and open, not clouded by all that other stuff.

I feel I'm only better for it.

Amen, amen!

 

[maxineshaw]

I woke up this morning noticed for the first time in a long time my mind felt so clear and receptive. And this is simply after throwing out my dvds and saying a prayer last night. I woke up noticing two things: that I could easily focus on God and that I could remember what I dreamt. I haven't been able to do either in a long time.

Another trivial thing I noticed is that my dvds are no longer in the place I left them. I put them in a walmart bag in front of my dresser, but when I woke up they were gone. I asked my mother if she'd moved it and she flat out denied it-even invoked God's name. She is saved by the way. She just take pleasure for some odd reason in making trying to make me feel small.

(OT: Last night I prayed and thanked God for blessing me to be able to turn the other cheek, and I prayed for continued strengthening in that area. So this morning:

Mom: MD, I know why you're taking that fish oil stuff. It's because of your hair, isn't it?
Me: Not really. I'm too cynical to believe that a pill will help grow my hair. I actually take the pill for my heart.
Mom: Why, because your heart is so bitter?

I didn't even blink. I just thanked God for giving me peace in my heart. End OT)

Now, I share a room with my sister, and I called and asked her if she saw it or moved it. She said no, but I just find all this very difficult to believe. It's actually one of the reasons why I do not like to share anything with my family about myself. They are never supportive of my efforts, and like to mock me. However, when it comes to theirs, they want 100%. I am just at the point where I don't even like to speak to anyone. That keeps me from saying what I really want to. Now, I really don't care too much about the DVDs, but something is fishy.

Especially since last night the first thing my mother did when my sister came home is tell her what I decided, and then they both proceeded to mock me.

 

[maxineshaw]

Why was I convicted in this same way about the romance novels I had always enjoyed? I wasnt reading Zane...anymore...but some of the little love scenes still qualify as pornography. Doggone it that was a hard one for me...but now when I want to read a novel I grab one of the CHristian Fiction ones.

It is so worth it to be obedient to the prompting of the Holy Ghost!

I've been collecting books for years, and I've always wanted a nice collection. I always dreamed of having wall to wall of book in my own place, but now I just have no clue what to do with them.

I only own two Christian fiction books. One of them has about four novels in one. The other one is called Redeeming Love. I love that book. It's not really my book-a friend of my sister's loaned it to her, and I wound up reading it.

Right now I'm reading East of Eden by Steinbeck, just for fun. I'm really enjoying it, but I do recall a few times when characters have taken the Lord's name in vain. I don't think I'll read anymore. When I would see it, it's like my eyes would see the words, but I wouldn't read it. I just skipped over it in my mind. I think that's what I was doing with music and movies, things that weren't pleasing to God(and maybe not as obvious as taking His name in vain, but still not pleasing) I would ignore.

 

[Pooks]

I've been collecting books for years, and I've always wanted a nice collection. I always dreamed of having wall to wall of book in my own place, (ME TOO!) but now I just have no clue what to do with them.

IMO, keep your books, you never know who they may entertain/help at some point - nieces, nephews, those less fortunate, I do not see anything wrong in reading non-Christian books, just as long as they are not leading you astray in your thought life or taking up a disproportionate amount of your time. That said, I can count what non-Christian matter I've read since committing my life to Christ on one hand, but I wouldn't throw out my book collection, no, no, not a former English degree student, no sir

I only own two Christian fiction books. One of them has about four novels in one. The other one is called Redeeming Love. I love that book. It's not really my book-a friend of my sister's loaned it to her, and I wound up reading it.

I need to get my hands on some Christian fiction, it would make a change, I mostly read books on spiritual/personal/relational development...

 

[Pooks]

Anyway, bumping, any other ladies wanna share their feelings on OP's topic?

 

[Jenibo]

Op my mom and sis mock me about my Godly decisions sometimes and its no fun I was trying to find songs to download to my mp3 player last night and while I was going through the selection (secular) I felt soooo guilty! I was looking for free stuff but I might have to suck it up and pay so I can have a good gospel selection

 

[maxineshaw]

Mystery was solved. My sister took them as a joke. My mother lied about taking them because she thinks I'm stupid and doesn't respect my decision. Earlier my aunt came over because she wants help with copying her tapes to dvd. My mother lied and said that she gave the dvds to my aunt and my aunt told her to tell me thank you. I repeatedly asked her to leave me alone and she just wouldn't let up. I just got angry and started tearing up. I even told her that I was doing this to help with my relationship with God and it was non of her business.

But she wouldn't stop lying. She even kept laughing about how my uncle said thank you too. Finally my sister confessed. Now, I said earlier that I didn't care about the dvds. I wasn't even mad at my sister for taking them. However, I was angry with my mom because my sister did it as a joke. My mom did it to torment me.

Irony of the situation: she's saved.


ETA: So is my sister

 

[Sharpened]

John 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love his own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

 

[ladyofvirtue]

Dear Sister in CHRIST,

The more that you suffer, the more that our LORD will increase your strength.

The more HE increases your strength, the more you will suffer.

This growth process will continue until HE calls you from your earthly labor to your heavenly reward.

Keep praying for your family and thank HIM for making you a "light that shines in darkness."

 

[Prudent1]

OP,
You are doing the right thing. Many of us here have had to part with books, music, etc that we loved as a sign to God and others that we value nothing more than our relationship with him. Remember too that the enemy uses those closest to us to hurt us b/c of the fact that an outsider can not touch our hearts that way. We are called to forsake family for the call of Christ. Sometimes that is literal. The women here have given you great advice. You already are reaping some of the benefits of your obedience. You stated you felt clearer mentally and you were able to sense God's spirit more keenly when you woke up! Keep praying for your family and we will all pray for your continued growth and strength in the Lord. Here is one of my favorite scriptures concerning music, movies, hanging out with certain ppl, etc.
Prov. 4:23
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Of course you know this does not refer to your fleshy heart but the very core of you, your soul. Everything from what we decide to eat or wear to more serious matters start as a thought. Words are like seeds. These thoughts can and will potentially end up with roots bearing fruit in our lives/souls for good or bad if we think them then plant and water them by opening our mouths and speaking things that 'are not as though they were' into existence.
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
Be encouraged- the righteous are never forsaken...

 

[LatterGlory]

I did a similar thing of getting rid of all that was not godly in my life or not given to me by God by the time I was done my closet bearly had any clothes in it... I hauled 2 really big garbage bags full of stuff to the dumpster.

Glad I did would do it again!=)

 

[Sharpened]

DH and I sold most of our CDs and all of our still-decent cassette tapes (yeah, I was shocked about the cassette tapes, too). I pitched the ruined stuff, but he refuses to give up the classical and the jazz. Maybe he'll give up the jazz ones in time.

Now, if I could get my brain scrubbed of the damaging things I have subjected it to...

 

[makeupgirl]

It's not weird or abnormal for a Christian to do this. I've done it along with the other ladies. This is what God wants you to do so I would rather face the wrath of man then God's wrath due to disobedience.

I threw out my Kings of Comedy VHS tape about a year after I was saved b/c of the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I will not look at any movies with nudity or even sex because I get convicted each time. I wont listen to rap, watch porn , or listen to certain performers because of either the cussing, sexual content, or it's offensive to the Spirit of God.

So no you're ok. I think God knows what we can handle and what we cannot.

 

[makeupgirl]

I even feel uneasy at times when I'm spending too long on this website..too much time meditating on things that don't bear fruit and talking nonsense. It's hard sometimes but I've gotten a lot better at stepping away from the monitor or forcing myself to do more productive things (research, financial stuff, Christian articles, etc).

I didn't know at the time but I read one book of Zane and I couldn't for the life of me understand it and it was so plain and simple. Now i'm beginning to realize that maybe it wasn't meant for me to understand it because it the contents in the book was against the Word of God.