Don’t Step Over That Fence…

Imagine standing on the edge of a cliff, with the most amazing natural beauty you have ever seen: rolling valleys full of luscious green Australian bush, a waterfall running down the rocky cliff and a flowing river down below.

Sounds beautiful, right? But imagine there is this fence keeping you back from the edge and stopping you from really getting a good look. If I just step over the fence for only a minute, I would be able to see the waterfall a little bit better…

Do you feel fenced in by your parents’ rules and by God’s laws? Do you want to jump the fence and go play out in that big wide world—to go have some “fun,” just for a bit? Do you want to take a small step over the fence on the edge of the cliff to get a better view of the gorgeous scenery?

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are trying to do the right thing, but sometimes life just seems so restricting that it feels like we are stuck inside this fenced-in section with all of God’s rules, while all that “fun stuff” is happening out there over the fence.

Well, it’s just the opposite!

God does have fences—but not in the way we sometimes feel. God has given us choice and freedom and doesn’t restrict us by putting up a fence around the way He wants us to go.

He has given us life and freedoms in this big wide world. What He has done, though, is put up fences around some dangerous areas that are wrong, hurtful and destructive for us. He clearly shows us through His Word what isn’t constructive to living a good and happy life.

We need to learn to identify the fenced-off areas that God has set up to protect us. God lets us see what is inside those areas, but He has built for us good fences—His laws—to show us which direction we should go.

God isn’t harsh. He wants us to know what is out there, and gives us the tools to recognize those areas of concern. He doesn’t stop us from making our own decisions.

So what happens if you make a mistake and go into a fenced-off area, then realize that it was a wrong decision? Don’t worry—God is good. At the price of Jesus Christ’s life, He built a gate for you to open and get back out! God promises to forgive us, when we walk back through that gate and repent.

So, how would I summarize this in 30 words or less?

• Know that God has put fences up around dangerous areas of life, not to limit us, but to protect us.

• Recognize those fences by studying His guide—the Bible.

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17).

Living God’s way of life isn’t restrictive. It’s about making the right choices and living a wonderful, happy, carefree life. Just don’t step over that fence on the edge of the cliff—the fence is there for a reason! VT

- About the Author -

Renee Dean works for the Mental Health Service in Melbourne, Australia, and volunteers every other summer to work at the United Church of God Australian youth camp.

Media, Marketing and Cool

We love to be entertained with movies, music, books, magazines, video games, the Internet and TV shows.

The various media productions have become the vehicles for much of today’s marketing. Using the media to create and sell the cool pop culture is a multi-billion dollar industry, making teenagers the hottest consumer demographic in America (Frontline: “The Merchants of Cool”).

Here’s the problem: The ultimate goal of today’s media is not to provide good entertainment but to influence what we value and how we spend our money. The byproduct of this process is diluted values not only among the youth but also older generations. Consider two areas of life over the past three or four decades to see a shift away from the traditional, more Bible-based beliefs that once guided our society’s morals.

1. Sex. Today many view premarital sex as the normal way relationships develop—”friends with benefits”—and view homosexuality as “diversifying” and not morally wrong. Sex is employed virtually everywhere in advertising.

In the ’90s MTV created the Midriff character to hook the teenage girl consumer. This highly sexualized Midriff persona was prematurely adult, consumed by appearance and her “thing” was sex. She was used extensively in entertainment to drive up ratings and to sell movie tickets and products. Needless to say, Midriff portrayed the opposite of God’s ideal of virginal purity and the sanctity of sex within marriage.

2. Men. Feminism and the subtle idea that women are typically superior to men has come to permeate our society, resulting in the devaluation of the role of men. Consider Midriff’s male counterpart, the Mook character, which was pitched to the teenage male consumer. The boorish-behaving Mook was an in-your-face, crude, angry and clueless character.

Although introduced by MTV, this successful marketing character type is now also found throughout media productions, replacing the concept of the masculine, family-oriented, male role model that helped young men grow up to be the reliable, hard-working, loving leaders God intended.

Numerous shifted beliefs and standards are being dragged down in the marketing process. However, there are some manipulative media techniques that we can quickly beware of to guard our minds and faith while selecting good entertainment:

• Deceptive reasoning. Many lyrics and storylines entice audiences to root for evil (like a “good” thief). This tactic plays on the emotions to lead us to wrong conclusions—for instance, “if it feels right and you truly love someone, sex outside of marriage is okay.”

• Changing definitions. As with the Midriff and the Mook characters, media conglomerates actively seek to redefine what’s “cool” in order to sell more stuff. Redefining institutions like marriage and family makes ideas and behaviors like premarital sex or homosexuality seem less wrong and ultimately “acceptable.”

• The bandwagon effect. This is a common and dangerous argument implying that if others do or have certain things, then you should too. Many films, songs and shows convey clear enough messages: get drunk, do drugs, be promiscuous, go shoplifting, be violent—because “everybody does it!” Wrong.

For added insight about media and entertainment, read, “Dethroning the Media Gods.”

As vertical thinkers, our media mission is to b e vigilant and analyze everything that we allow into our hearts and minds. Let God guide your thinking and entertainment selections. Recapture and stick with the true values of life. VT

- About the Author -

Keri Sanders, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth and Ambassador Bible Center, is a wife and mother raising three young daughters to be wise about media.