I gave up a TV show I love

I made a good decision this weekend, but it took me a bit too long to make it. I decided to stop watching a show I used to love.

Several years ago, I went through a real intense growth period in my Christian life. I was learning a lot from the Lord and learning it fast. One of the decisions I made during that time was that I didn't want to be entertained by things like sexual jokes, adultery, cursing, vulgarity and cruelty. I knew that God had called me to live with purpose and for Him, and I didn't want anything coming in my way.

Then my friends started telling me how funny a certain television show was. I stayed away from it for a while, but I finally gave in last month. Man did I love that show! I even finished 28 episodes (two seasons) in less than a month.

Then recently, in passing, I heard someone mention that they don't watch that same show because of all the garbage in it. At first, I was ready to defend it as a "clean" show–there's nothing vulgar; it's not that bad, etc. But then I thought about all the stuff I had been entertained by:

• Adultery is completely accepted as normal
• Jokes about sex and body parts happen every few minutes
• A sprinkling of cursing
• Lots of drinking

I realized that all the things I didn't want to be a part of were now a regular part of my life. So I turned it off and I'm not going back.

As a leader in the body of Christ, living above reproach is not an option to me. at the end of the day, I know that the foundation of my ministry isn't "strategy" or smooth words, but the lifestyle I live.

The Lord commands us to "Be holy, because I am holy" (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16). I still can't say I understand this command completely, considering we are saved by grace. But Paul also says that "among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people" (Ephesians 5:3). Sometimes choices like this are hard for me to make, but they are important to make.

In youth ministry, I think these hard decisions are even more important. Every student I know watches me like a hawk. They probably know a lot more about me than I realize, and no matter what I tell them, my lowest standard somehow always turns into their highest standard. I've never seen "Do what I say, not what I do" work with teens.

So I often ask myself some hard questions:
Are there standards in my life that I've let slip?
I try to picture the jokes I laugh at on TV, in movies and at home. Would I be comfortable sharing them in front of students or my pastor? Why or why not?

 Nathaniel Dame is the president of Called to Youth Ministry which provides the youth ministry resources, coaching, community and training that youth pastors need. He is driven by a passion to promote effective youth ministry in the local church. Nathaniel lives with his wife, Christa, in Woodstock, Illinois.