Mtv Madness

Do not love the world or anything in the world. 1 John 2:15

Scripture says that “everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16). That is why we are instructed, “Do not love the world or anything in the world” (v. 15).

Of course, millions of young people who lack a strong faith are very much influenced by the world and its values. MTV, the twenty-year-old cable broadcast, is one of the most dangerous institutions among the young. It is the world’s most-watched cable channel among viewers between ages twelve and twenty-four; more than 300 million people watch it daily. As one of its corporate ads recently proclaimed, “[MTV] is a cultural force…MTV has affected the way an entire generation thinks, talks, dresses, and buys.” That’s a scary thought, considering that MTV and programs like it will do almost anything to attract an audience. One of its “stars,” for instance, was videotaped while being sloshed around upside down in a portable toilet; he ate a live goldfish and then vomited it into a bowl. Sex and violence are its stock-in-trade.

It’s sobering to realize that your kids are the targets of these outrageous programs. That’s why it’s more important than ever to teach them to love God and obey His commands, “for everyone born of God overcomes the world” (1 John 5:4). While you’re at it, you might turn off your TV, too.

Before you say good night…

How much are your kids influenced by worldly values?

Have you “locked out” MTV and similar filth from your home?

Do your kids know the difference between worldly and godly values?

Father, we so want our children to focus not on the values of the world, but on Your perfect ways. Help us to put distance between our family and those who would try to manipulate us with evil intent. Amen.

• From Night Light For Parents, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson
  Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved.

MTV material from Bringing Up Boys copyright © 2001 by James Dobson, Inc. Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.