Sex, Cuisine, and Television: Overcoming the World

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance 1 Peter 1:14

While I was standing by the gas pump, filling up in the below zero weather of north central Wisconsin I found myself being subjected to an audio advertisement through a little round box attached to the pump.  I tried to hit the "mute" button, but it had been pressed so many times it no longer functioned.  I found myself deeply irritated.  

On any given day the average American may be exposed to over 5000 advertisements.  Not 50.  Not 500.  But 5000.  (source) It's hard to imagine what kind of impact that has on the human mind.  But I'm certain it makes temptation harder and harder to resist.  Think about it, almost every advertisement is trying to tempt me into something.  Every advertisement is trying to sell me on something.  Within those ads is an ideology of selfishness, and self serving motives.  A sort of "you can have it all" attitude, that we see time and again failing to satisfy. 

That's why we need God.  Time and again the material fails to satisfy.  In fact, that is a major reason why I am here today, writing in regard to the truth.  Because my methods of self satisfaction were ultimately self destructive.  

Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 

Sex, food, and television.  Oi vey, what have we gotten ourselves into?  What have I gotten myself into by writing on these topics?  Hard to say, hard to say.  But let's dig in anyway.

What do we believe as human beings on planet Earth about the world around us?  I want you to look up from the screen you're staring at, the laptop, desktop, ipad, ipod, or cell phone.  And look around you.  See what you see.  The room.  The car even.  Maybe the city block, or the woods or the mountains or the ocean.  Now connect this reality with this truth: Everything your looking at belongs to Jesus Christ.  Now look down at your arms and legs.  You belong to Jesus Christ.  Not figuratively, not allegorically, but literally.  Physically, you belong to a real God.  So does everything around you.  The coffee table, the computer, the walls, the air, the sky, all of it.  

I'm so plugged into the computer, the ipod, the television, the latest product that I forget who I am sometimes.  Honestly, I do.

Never-the-less, I am a child of the one true God.  And so are you.  It's so easy to forget in the age of consumption.  Consumer society threatens my connection to my Lord.  One and done right?  One prayer and I'm eternally saved?  Or is there more to it than that?  Of course there is.  Christianity is real.  Not a quick fix.  Not a #3 at McDonalds.  Sex, food, and television.  And so many other things, vying for my attention and my affection.  The danger of falling away is very real.  The danger of sin, and of falling into it is very real.  So what am I to do?  

1 John 3:24
Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. 

Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 

James 1:22-25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 

Sometimes in modern society, I feel like I pass between different worlds in the span of a day.  There is the face I wear at home.  There is the face I wear at work.  There is the face I wear at the gym.  There is the face I wear at church.  There is the face I wear on the internet.  There is the face I wear in prayer.  There is the face I wear with my friends.  To a certain extent, one must adapt to situations that require different levels of interaction.  

But for me being out in society, sometimes I forget who I am.  I see the girl at the gym with the perfect body, and I feel like I'm not quite cool enough.  I see the guy with the really nice car.  I see the man wearing the expensive suit.  I feel the anxiety inside.  The shame.  But have I forgotten?  I am a child of the one true God.  In the truest reality, assuming all those people I saw don't have Christ... they have nothing.  They are headed to nothingness.  They ought to be pitied, because they think they have so much, yet have so little.  The pertinent question is: Is my worldview, my Christian belief structure penetrating into all areas of my life?  Am I looking in the mirror in my prayers only to forget who I am in public?  

 1 Peter 2:10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

It's a journey, truly, truly it is.  I became a Christian two years ago.  And I've seen my worldview slowly being transformed, from one area to another.  From one glorious truth to another.  Though it's not all bubble gum and fairies.  Sometimes it's downright tough.

Sex.

And so we come to the first of three topics, sex.  Sexual desire is a tough one for me.  I would love to be married.  But I'm not.  Temptation is out there.  And sometimes it's very difficult to keep my thoughts headed in the right direction.  Have you ever experienced the same thing?  I think many of us have.  It's impossible to go anywhere or do anything, without being exposed to dozens of pictures and images of men and women scantly clad.  All of them with perfect bodies of course.  Many of those images photoshopped and manipulated to appear perfect.  And even when we're not being exposed to those images, there are the people around us.  For men especially, it can be very difficult.  It seems like over the past 20 years women have begun to wear less and less, and tighter and tighter clothes.  It's extremely difficult to deal with on a daily basis.  Another issue is how younger and younger women are dressing and being dressed in a sexualized way.  Truly troubling.  Of course if you mention that to the public you'll quickly be characterized as a backwards religious fool.  Yoga pants?  Forget about it, yoga pants is only the tip of the iceberg.  Yet we're called to discipline.  We're called to resist temptation.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 

I was listening to a sermon by Pastor James MacDonald the other day.  He was saying how he does talks for young adult men's ministries.  It was his custom in the past to ask all the young guys in the room to write down on a piece of paper the sin they struggle with the most.  He would take all of those papers and do his talk on the top three issues.  He said in the sermon that the answer is always the same, so often, he doesn't even ask anymore: sexual sin. 

Of course it's not a male only issue.  I was reading a book called "Every Man's Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time" by Fred Stoeker & Stephen Arterburn.  Probably one of the most annoying books I've ever read.  Yet certainly containing some very powerful insights on the issue of sexual sin.  What I found annoying, among other things, was how women were caricatured as not having an issue with sexual sin.  And how the wives of these men feel so sorry for their poor sexually depraved husbands, and they "just don't understand it."  

Sexual "acting out" is of course in many ways a sin.  In the converse, sex within a life-long commitment is a healthy and wonderful thing.  Sex is not bad in itself.  Sex is good in itself.  People unfortunately have a way of taking a good thing and turning it into a bad thing.  Sexual problems are a sin before God.  Of course they are.  But it's also true that sexual addiction is an illness that is treatable.  Just like alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling, shopping, or internet addiction, it is treatable.  

Men certainly come out on top in studies regarding pure sex addiction.  But if 88% of men in studies are engaging in sexual sin, who are they sinning with?  Themselves?  There are women with the same issues, it's just stigmatized much more for women, so it's not discussed as openly.  Though women may not struggle with outright sexual addiction, it may be a more relational issue.  In my experience, women would come out on top in relationship addiction.  The societal norms are very strong in this area, people simply assume women do not have a problem with sex.  So much so, that there are very few studies regarding female sex addiction and/or relationship addiction.  (source)  But in the fall of man in Genesis 2, the sin state was not reserved particularly for men.  Women were equal in their participation of that state.  

In the past, in the United States and Europe, women have been subjugated and mistreated.  Thankfully today women are gaining better treatment in society.  In organizations like the Salvation Army, women are treated as equals, as partners in ministry with equal standing and equal rights.  That's as it should be.  

Unfortunately it seems like today there is a growing war against men.  Men find themselves caricatured as dumb sex fiends in the media.  Men find themselves minimized and subjugated in the courts during divorce proceedings, child support, and child custody battles.  I've seen it first hand.  The media is really a major fueler of this problem.  The media, the news, and Hollywood.  Unfortunately it always seems to go back to the popular media.  That's where the filth streams from, into the minds of future generations.  Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne.  The list goes on and on.  

What fuels sexual addiction?  We can only theorize, but of course pornography, the television, and the internet play into it strongly.  Thankfully, there are ways to battle sexual sin.  Celebrate Recovery, seeing a Christian counselor, or 12 step fellowships like Sex Addicts Anonymous are some solid options.  Do you struggle with masturbation, pornography, or chronic sexual sin?  Pray about the issue, and seek resources to gain the upper hand on these problems.  

 Cuisine.

Ah, such a fascinating topic, the issue of food.  This is one that the church of the USA and Europe have been strangely dead silent on.  

According to the CDC the leading cause of death in 2013 in the USA was heart disease at 611,105 dead.  On the top ten causes of death, heart disease was 1st, cancer 2nd, and 7th was diabetes. (source) These are all preventable problems.  What causes diabetes?  Poor eating.  What causes cancer?  Hard to say, but I expect in the future cancer may be linked to diet choices.  And what causes heart disease?  According to Mayo Clinic "It can be caused by correctable problems, such as an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, being overweight and smoking." (source)

Why has the church been so silent on this issue?  Let's just be real, when the number one cause of death in the USA is diet related, the church of Christ needs to speak up.  What does scripture say regarding over-eating? 

Proverbs 23:20-21 Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. 

The church is very quick to go after sins like homosexuality, drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual sin, but what about gluttony?  

It's important to have a healthy diet.  The scriptures are clear about that.  What did Daniel do when he was stuck in Babylon?  The scriptures say he resolved to not defile himself with the delicacies of the Babylonian empire (Daniel 1:8).  Instead he ate organic veggies (Daniel 1:11-13).  Maybe it's time that the church took a stand on the healthy eating issue.  

Did you know 80% of the food Americans consume is genetically modified? (GMO).  (source)   Now it's not that all genetically modified foods are necessarily bad, but I definitely view them with a high level of skepticism.  There are very high amounts of chemicals in American food.  The FDA is suppose to monitor food for safety, but unfortunately during the Obama administration the FDA has been headed up by a former Monsanto lawyer; a company notorious for it's gmo products and legal attacks on organic farmers.  (source) (source 2)

The bottom line is, it's important to eat healthy.  If we don't know, we can't learn.  But with knowledge, we can learn and overcome these health problems in modern society.  It's important to eat organic foods, and it's important to avoid chemicals that can harm our bodies.  God made us to eat healthy; when we eat sugar, carbs, and harmful products our bodies suffer as a result.  Our body is the temple of God, it should be honored in our food choices.  

Television.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 

I think about it in this way: What I'm putting into my mind tends to become my reality.  If I'm pouring in the scriptures, word of God, prayer, Bible studies, prayer meetings, Christian rock, Christian radio, and weekly church attendance my mindset will slowly be conforming to grace, peace, love, and the mind of Christ Jesus.  

If I'm pouring in commercials, advertisements, reality television, sports games, bar life, pornography, disturbing humor, and selfish desires then my mindset will be debased, confused, uncertain, disturbed, irritable, irrational, ugly, and self centered.  I will have a worldly attitude.

We have to be very careful with what we put in our minds.  The world wants us to think it's all no big deal.  It's all just expression and entertainment.  But the truth is, a lot of it is downright harmful.  Do we assume the sex, violence, and temptations have no effect at all on our minds?  

Sometimes I will watch television on the treadmill at the Anytime fitness where I work out.  It's amazing in just a few minutes I'll be exposed to a pizza commercial showing me a gewy, dripping, perfect pizza.  Then I flip to another channel and I see a Reeces peanut butter cup graphically designed to look perfect and tempting.  Then another channel I see a girl in a bikini walking on a beach.  Then another commercial I see the perfect beer bash bar scene with girls, and lights, and dancing and oh my.  It's all so tempting.  And that's the design.  It's designed to tempt me.  It's designed to induce me to hand over my money for a temporary pleasure.  So I need to be cautious.   We ought to be cautious, and take off those rose colored glasses and see these things for what they really are: inducements to capture our minds.  Very quickly we can have minds captive to pleasures that can never be fully quenched.

Galatians 5:1 

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 

Our blessed savior the Lord Jesus Christ calls us not only to believe in him, and follow him, he calls us to overcome sin in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit whom he gave to us.  Victory is through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us.  Therefore call upon God to support you, and deliver you from temptation, and from willful sin.  He answers all prayers within his will.  He is good and right to answer us, and deliver us from all sin.  

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ 

1 John 3:1-11(NIV) 3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³ All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. ⁵ But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. ⁶ No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
⁷ Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. ⁸ The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. ⁹ No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. ¹⁰ This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
¹¹ For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

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