Just Thinking About What I’m Hearing

By Toffel - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,

There are literally hundreds of channels on DirecTV. Most of them we are NOT interested in. We could drop all ESPN, direct sales, pay-for-view, and still be happy with what's left. By accident we discovered INSP. This morning there have been three shows on (no, I'm sewing, not watching - but I do hear them) and all three have dealt well with discrimination and how to accept diversity. These were shows from 1955-1975 - Gunsmoke, Daniel Boone, Bonanza.

Now, I'm wondering why some people think this subject hasn't been addressed since 1861. Also wondering why these same ideas - without anger, cursing, sex - aren't being addressed in television shows today. Instead, we get the anger, cursing and sex, bad guy winning, no closure with justice. And it is reflected within society, social media, and media. Just running through my mind. As is the way to get this out of our lives:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8 KJV)

Best part? You don't have to be a believer in God or Christ to follow this suggestion.

But – if you do honor the Bible, you might think about these verses, too:

Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. (Proverbs 23:6-7 KJV)

A lot of time the middle of that verse is quoted “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” out of context. We aren’t to allow a person not interested in our bests interest to determine our best interests. It is up to us to know what is best for our lives.

As Christians, we know that there are some things we are not to do, and there are plenty of people willing to help us do them. And, there are simple verses that tell us what God wants from us. Among my favorites are:

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:7-8 KJV)

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40 KJV)

And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? (Deuteronomy 10:12-13 KJV)

Do these definitions of what God requires sound like they would cause trouble and division? They shouldn’t if we treat everyone we meet with the same love God provides for us. Otherwise, Paul describes what happens:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity [love], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity [love], I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity [love], it profiteth me nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 KJV)

Charity, biblically, is love. Let’s do it and use it.