A4P Guest: I am a Christian and I live here in the US (I came here from Ethiopia five years ago). I start following your ministry three years ago. I have a question about watching movies. Is watching a movie a sin?
A4P: I think as Christians it is wise for all of us to ask ourselves at least these questions before we give our eyes, ears, minds and hearts over to a move:
What is this movie all about? Is this movie going to bring me closer to Jesus or take me farther away from Him?
You see, there is no “neural” movie or show. All entertainment shows promote something! And it is very important for you to know that before you find yourself in front of a screen. And pluggedin.com, a Focus on the Family sub-ministry, helps you easily and quickly find the content of a movie before you decide to watch it. So, take advantage of this website.
A4P Guest: You know, when I want to watch a movie, I just sit and watch. And I do that to relax and enjoy my life. I feel like you made it sound like a church program or something.
A4P: Hmm! Then why are you asking me whether what you enjoy to do is a sin or not? Why don’t you continue watching, relaxing and enjoying your life? Why bother?
A4P Guest: Oh, no. Sorry if what I said came out wrong!
A4P: Not at all! What you just said came out right. You said, you enjoy watching movies and I said, continue enjoying watching movies.
A4P Guest: Okay, I’m sorry. Let me ask you differently. Well, I have this guilt feeling whenever I watch movies. So, I feel like, “Does God not want me to enjoy this?”
A4P: Okay, that is a much better question than the previous one. The answer is: God enjoys seeing us enjoy life to the fullest. God gave us His Son, Jesus Christ, so we enjoy our lives abundantly (John 10:10b). But God does not enjoy seeing us hurt ourselves by our ignorance and stupidity. Looking at adultery, fornication, naked bodies and extramarital relationships on a screen, won’t make us enjoy life.
Doing so actually gives us all kinds of sinful pleasures that last for a moment and throw us into a sea of spiritual blindness, loneliness, fear, guilt, regret. They also create in us all sorts of lustful desires that won’t get quenched with anything spiritual, such as seeking God in prayers and reading the Bible but in indulging our lives in sinful activities. Then we get plagued with complaining and murmuring because our real lives, our marriages are included if we are married, don’t match with what we saw on the screen. So, we tend to run to find more movies and shows so we forget our real lives. Do you think this is good for us to do? Do you think God, our heavenly Father, will look at us wrecking our lives with what we choose to watch and say, “Good job my children! Do more of this thing so you don’t keep me busy with your prayers?”
A4P Guest: But I’m watching only Amharic movies.
A4P: Okay. Why is this thing coming to me again and again? Who said Amharic movies are made in the heavenly Jerusalem?
Look, I think what you need right now is not the list of “sinful” things to stay away from and the list of “righteous” things to go closer to. What you need now is how to love Christ and why you need to love Him more than life itself. You see, the life we live in Christ is the life given over to God because of the love we have for Christ.
“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)
The love we have for Jesus should dictate our lives, not the list of do’s and don’ts.
So, I advise you to focus on developing an intimate “LOVE” relationship with Christ. (I always pray for God to help me to keep on falling in love with Christ.) I also encourage you to find a Bible “believing” and “teaching” church near you so you learn about Christ and know Him personally.
Hey, by the way, there is a Christian movie that just came out in theaters yesterday called “Overcomer.” I encourage you to watch this movie and respond to the call of Christ.
I watched this movie yesterday and I cried through the movie, mostly out of sheer joy and gladness.
I am sure the movie will soon come out in DVDs but don’t wait for that. This movie is filled with the voice of God. Please, I beg you. Do this to yourself. Even writing this to you makes my heart jump with joy because “I know that I know” God will change your heart for good through this movie. ///