Title is taken from our National Anthem – e.g. we’ll stand on guard for Canada! I’ve borrowed the line in reference to our pledged allegiance to guard our minds for God. Our minds belong to him; our bodies belong to him; the seed of all actions and behaviour are born in the mind and it is the birth of these thoughts that give permission to our deeds and choices. If we can guard the mind, claiming the capacities of intellect for God, there is nothing that can defeat us!
•The battle for the mind is probably strongest through the influence of media and technology.
Primarily geared to youth but certainly applies to all of us. Why youth? You have integrated media into your lives more effectively than generations before you.
o When I was seventeen there were no cds, dvds, mp3s, ipods, play stations or x-box. Color television was a luxury so most of us viewed black and white; we listened to records and 8-track tapes. Home computers were non-existent Now before you get carried away, let me stop you by saying it does not saying anything about how old I am – it speaks of the speed that technology is advancing!
• Not just a youth issue. Media as an influence in Youth Culture: “Adults have a desire to look and feel younger and therefore they tend to follow youth trends in order to facilitate this behavior. Thus the media has a large influence on society as a whole. They effectively manipulate and create false perception...”
http://www.youthandviolence.com/
• Media is pressing hard to infiltrate our minds for the purpose of manipulating our characters, decisions, priorities, morals and attitudes.
• The message today is personal – it is a challenge to look at myself and face the truth of unhealthy life-style habits and understand their affects in my life and living. Each person is to evaluate behaviours and influences to decide what things or practices inject poison into our minds and bodies.
Whatever those decisions we can be sure as the Speaker’s Bible writes: “A {person} soon rises or falls to the level of the things that they think about…The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts.”
The first battle we face for the mind involves admitting
1. MEDIA MATTERS TO US
“Five uses of media by adolescents can be specified: entertainment, identity formation, high sensation, coping, and youth culture identification.” http://www.springerlink.com
The five reasons for “media matters” apply to all of us – I may read a certain book to identify with a specific culture, or listen to opera to “calm my spirit” (coping). Why would we go to a movie or concert if it is not for the purpose of entertainment?
Another source:
We ask the questions of the adult community. What media forms entertains us, gets our money, consumes our time and influences our thoughts, behaviours, priorities and principles?
Oddly enough, we’ll spend more time in a day with media influence than we will in faith community, prayer or Bible reading. That is usually the result of drinking in what I want and neglecting what I need. We are more cued and hyped about entertainment and feelings than we are enlightenment and character. Even when we are involved in spiritual formation and development we feel the need to include a meal, user power-point or hype up the presentation because we fear losing people or having them become bored or disinterested.
There is another, stronger battle for the mind.
2. MEDIA SHAPES US
The influence of media violence on youth:
“Short-term exposure increases the likelihood of physically and verbally aggressive behavior, aggressive thoughts, and aggressive emotions. Recent large-scale longitudinal studies provide converging evidence linking frequent exposure to violent media in childhood with aggression later in life, including physical assaults…”
Gretchen D. Werle. (2006) Taking Steps to Promote Safer Schools. Journal of School
Health 76:4, 156-158 http://www.blackwell-synergy.com
The point is, the longer we are exposed to violence the more likely we are to think and behave according to those influences. This is true whether it speaks of arguing with family, conflict at church, work or school or larger crimes of abuse and murder and it makes no difference if you are seventeen or seventy. The levels and forms of violence that are expressed in your life, from kicking the dog, to shouting at your spouse, to throwing the hammer at the wall, to, God be merciful, hitting or killing someone, all has its basis in an influence in your past. It could have been six weeks ago or sixty years. The level of violence exhibited in you and me is rooted in the fact of short-term or long-term exposure to violence. It can be related to childhood experiences or an ongoing exposure through media.
“The Mediascope National Television Violence Study found that children are learning aggressive attitudes and behaviors, becoming desensitized to real world violence and developing a fear of being victimized by violence.
http://www.crisisconnectioninc.org/teens/mediainfluence.htm
Not only are we immune to violence but many sitcoms and mini-series challenge us to believe that all lifestyles and sexual orientations are normal and socially acceptable. Just as we have become desensitized to violence, we are becoming desensitized to godly values and belief systems.
“Three out of four teens say ‘TV shows and movies make it seem normal for teenagers to have sex.’
“The American Psychological Association estimates that teens are exposed to 14,000 sexual references & innuendos per year on TV.
“A study of video games found that the few female characters in those games are often highly sexualized…”
http://www.crisisconnectioninc.org/teens/mediainfluence.htm
These statistics are not restricted to youth and children. If someone walked into your family room when you’re watching certain television shows or movies, or could look over your shoulder at the computer, would you keep on viewing or quickly close the computer screen or change the channel?
The most disturbing reality is the “it’s-no-big-deal” attitudes. We have become so immune to media’s effects that we don’t give it a second thought and have effectively justified watching the show or continuing the behaviour.
I decided some time ago that the first time I heard the Lord’s name on television in any form other than praise and worship I was going to change the channel. There were a lot of times I was clicking the remote and not watching much of anything.
We find ourselves in a very difficult and unwanted place. What can we do about it?
We can stay there and never know the excitement of being more than we are. Or we can decide to enlist in a training program called
3. METAMORPHORSIS OF THE MIND
What does metamorphorsis mean?
• A marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function. Dictionary.com
• It means transformation – extreme, radical change
A. YOU MUST WANT IT!
◦ If we will be on guard for God by winning the battle for the mind, we will listen to Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person” – how? – “by changing the way you think.”
Changing the way you think will change the way you act.
Step one is deciding that because everyone “thinks it” or “everyone’s doing it” doesn’t mean it’s right or godly.
Everybody’s Doing It by John Davidson - 21 April 2006
“Apparently, some music fans haven’t received the message that sharing music files without permission is a crime.
“Oh sure, you say, it’s a crime like speeding is a crime. Everyone does it but the only people that get tickets are the ones that get caught, or the ones who are driving recklessly. Except that sharing copyrighted material over the Internet has repercussions a lot more frightening than a speeding ticket:
“The online infringement of copyrighted music can be punished by up to 3 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Repeat offenders can be imprisoned up to 6 years. Individuals also may be held civilly liable, regardless of whether the activity is for profit, for actual damages or lost profits, or for statutory damages up to $150,000 per infringed copyright.”
Now here’s the sad response that many people use as an answer to this information. “Well, as long as I don’t get caught I’m not hurting anybody. Besides, the music industry is cheating me anyway, charging all that money. It’s not worth it.”
The Evangelical Baptist Church over on 9th Avenue had a sign posted that said, “My way is the highway – God.”
Guys, listen up – walk the highroad! Walk God’s road! Ask God to awaken your conscience, your heart so that when something displeases Him it will displease you.
B. YOU MUST WORK AT IT!
◦ Philippians 4:8 – The Message and NIV…
◦ Exercise – sheet in today’s bulletin. Keep a record of the time given to each activity that is not connected to spiritual disciplines. At the end of each day, add up the time and decide that 10% of the day’s total will be given the next day to God – talk about with some friends or your family and be creative about how you can do that! There are a lot of fun things you can do!
C. YOU MUST BE INTENTIONAL!
◦ 2 Corinthians 10:5…
◦ Think about what it means to bring every thought to God and give it over to him
WRAP
◦Everything about who we are and what we do is first born in the mind
◦We can decide what we will do and who we will be
◦It requires effort and living on purpose to be God-powered
◦You have to want it
◦You have to work at (have fun while you’re doing it!)
◦You have to be intentional about it.
