How Far is Too Far {Movie Edition}

It’s not that bad. All my Christian friends have watched it. I don’t think I’m going too far watching this movie.

How far is too far when it comes to movie content?

I’m perhaps notorious for my shunning of certain movies/TV shows. No Beauty and the Beast {2017}, no Moana, no Frozen II, no Harry Potter, no Once Upon a Time, no Merlin, and definitely no Game of Thrones.

Maybe you think I’m silly for bringing up concerns about a movie … especially a kid’s movie. But I believe what we watch (read, listen to, etc.) teaches us and shapes us. Our entertainment is teaching our children something. It’s teaching us something!

It is shaping our doctrine. Our worldview.

So is your entertainment feeding you pagan doctrine, witchcraft, sexual immorality, filthy language, dirty humor, and godless worlds? Worlds where there is no God. But the Ocean is the ancient power. Or the wind and water and fire are spirits who control our fates, and a pretty girl (who our daughters idolize) wields the strongest power of all?

These movies teach our children to find the power within themselves. To find the strength inside. To believe in human or earth or themselves … but certainly not God. It teaches them to follow their heart at any cost, and that surely the most important thing of all is to be true to yourself.

Do you think that maybe this is setting up children for failure? When hard times come, maybe their first instinct won’t be to turn to God, but to seek the answers within, or to look for a impressive-looking human to follow.

Maybe years of watching these movies will affect your daughter and it’ll seem more natural to follow her heart than to follow Jesus. I love my boyfriend so much! How could it be wrong to do this? It makes sense to move in with him. Maybe saving sex for marriage isn’t as important as mom and dad think. I’m not ready for the commitment of marriage yet. Maybe the Bible’s ideas on sexual relationships are outdated…Because this feels so right!

I’m not saying you should be filled with terror and certainty that your child will become a witch if they open up a Harry Potter book or a heathen if they set eyes on Frozen II. That’s a little extreme. But perhaps it’s the subtle messages that affect us much more than black magic blaring across our screens. The messages of “follow your heart”, “you are your own authority”, “you have the power within”.

Many people are trying to mix Christianity with New Age beliefs these days. But the truth is, they don’t mix. There is no room for any other power but that of Jesus Christ.

Because God is I AM. He is the One High Power in the universe. There are no other gods before Him. He made the ocean, the wind, fire, earth, and all the elements. He made human beings and angelic beings … We can boast of no power of our own.

I’m sure people think I’m being paranoid and nit-picky. That I’m odd and overly-sensitive. Or self-righteous. Or ultra religious.

But I feel strongly about this. No, I’m not sitting here condemning you when you tell me you watched Beauty and the Beast {2017} or that you’re bringing your kids to watch Frozen II. I’m not out there telling people these are evil movies, or living in fear that God is going to strike me down if I watch the wrong movie. Or that my little siblings are going to become heathens if they watch Frozen II. (Some of my siblings have watched Frozen II and some of my relatives have watched Beauty and the Beast. …And I’ve simply chosen to watch neither.)

This is me. I felt convicted that I didn’t need to watch these movies. They wouldn’t benefit me any. I felt a hesitation in my spirit when I read about some of the content. This is me striving to walk with the Lord.

I’m not going to shove my convictions down your throat. But I do believe that entertainment/movies are an area that many Christians can be blinded in. Am I condemning you? Being “holier than thou”? I don’t think so. I know I’ve been super blinded about things before. I know I still am in different things – and will be in the future about other things – and I need people to call me out. So help me! And let me try to help you.

I don’t think it’s wrong for Christians (brothers and sisters in the Lord) to warn each other. To call each other out. Even to rebuke each other. In love.

I will say it again: I think Christians have a serious blind-spot when it comes to entertainment.

That’s why we watch evil portrayed as good. Satanic horror movies. Rape scenes. Graphic sex scenes (pornography in movie form). Witchcraft. Dirty humor. Paganism.

We think nothing of it. Because we’re free, right? And it’s just a movie. Not a big deal.

But what if it is a big deal? What if these dark, sex-saturated TV shows, and films centered on sorcery, and pagan-themed kid’s movies are the weight that so easily entangles us? Turns our focus from God? Blinds us to the spiritual world and makes us forget that we are at war?

The Word says to be alert.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

¹³ Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. ¹⁴ Let all that you do be done with love.

Ephesians 6:10-13

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

But I think movies and other forms of entertainment easily numb us. They’re a distraction. Which is why I believe we, as Christians, should use practical caution and wisdom when deciding what to watch. Is it distracting us from God? Is it making light of the power and authority He wields? Is it mocking that which God labels sacred? Is it directly against the Word of God?

This isn’t about your status as a child of God. We know it’s Christ’s blood alone that saves us and brings us into favor with God.

This is about the closeness of your walk with God. This is about keeping your heart softened to the nudging of the Holy Spirit. This is about the people you’re raising or leading or mentoring. You’re an example to them.

And kids are like sponges. They soak this stuff up. We do, too, whether we realize it or not! Again, whatever we feed ourselves the most is what shapes us.

Perhaps bad movies, like bad company, corrupt good character. Corrupt strong faith. Upright morals. Spiritual maturity. Integrity. Passion for Christ, and His ways, and His kingdom.

1 Corinthians 15:33-34

³³ Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” ³⁴ Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

We shouldn’t fool ourselves and expect to be strong, godly, passionate Christ-followers if we’re feeding ourselves worldly, careless, godless, sensual, rebellious, pagan, filthy, unbiblical, confusing content on a daily basis.

The Bible says that what you reap, you will sow. What goes into our hearts will come out in our actions. We don’t magically become spiritually mature by putting our faith in Jesus. Paul says in the Word that we need to exercise our spiritual muscles! Be in the Word; not just reading it, but studying it! Soaking it up. Memorizing it.

Galatians 6:7-10

⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

²⁴ Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. ²⁵ And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. ²⁶ Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. ²⁷ But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection,

1 Timothy 4:6-11

⁶ If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. ⁷ But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. ⁸ For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. ⁹ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. ¹⁰ For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. ¹¹ These things command and teach.

We need to be praying. Bringing everything before God. Praying about our future, our needs, our friends, our hopes, our enemies, our ideas, and about the entertainment we consume. And about what needs to change. Search my heart, O God, and see if there is any offensive way in me!

Psalm 139:23-24

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
²⁴ And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

We should be looking for godly content. Movies are not necessary for life – but they are fun. So look for movies with a Christian theme! Clean movies that don’t promote things contrary to God.

I know when I was watching movies with filthy language, overmuch sensuality, or paganistic magic themes, I felt a heaviness in my chest. I felt like they were a weight entangling my steps – hindering my walk with God. Why? Because I knew these movies had bits in them that were contrary to the Word of God. They spoke darkness to my mind and heart. Or even mocked my God. My God! Is He not my everything? If Christ is the treasure of my heart, why am I feeding my eyes on things that are not of Him?

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It was my lust to be entertained. To be thrilled. To fill the emptiness or numb the anxiety.

So maybe you think that Beauty and the Beast {2017} or Frozen II are perfectly okay. Alright. You have to make your own choices. You are not answerable to me. Believe me, I am not looking down on you, or condemning you, or thinking I’m better than you, or anything like that. But I am urging you to seek God on this matter of entertainment.

Our God is so holy and mighty and awesome. He alone should be adored. He should only ever be exalted.

I do think there is some fault in exalting a fake character in a movie; giving them unlimited power or god-like qualities. This is why I don’t like Moana (ocean is an ancient power, earth is a goddess, grandma is reincarnated, plus there’s a sickeningly arrogant demi-god character, etc.), Frozen II (spirits, charms, putting faith in characters, such as Elsa, who have god-like powers), Mulan (praying to dead ancestors and other pagan religious stuff), etc.

And then we have Tangled, which, you have to admit, has a strong theme of rebelling against parents. It’s the classic story of naive girl falling for the bad boy. Yet in this story, it all turns out fairy tale perfect. Mother, who warns against the rebellious but charming man turns out to be a wicked witch. And charming man, who has been a self-serving jerk for most of the movie, heroically sacrifices his life for girl in the end. Hmm. It could be that it’s not the best movie to show your little girls.

Of course there’s Beauty and the Beast {2017}, which features a man swooning over and pining after another man. Maybe it’s a small part of the movie, but it frustrates me that this immoral content is being shoved down our throats … saturating almost every TV show out there and now being added to even classic fairy tales and kid’s movies! I feel like we should take a stand against ungodliness, and guard our hearts and minds against getting calloused to sin or making compromises.

It seems like fairy tale movies used to be largely about falling in love, making friends, and triumphing over evil. Now there always appears to be immoral agendas sneaked into seemingly harmless kid’s movies and princess stories.

The fact is, we as Christians need to be extra vigilant these days when choosing a movie to watch. Does it feel hard sometimes? Yes. But really, friends, it shouldn’t be that hard to give up a movie. Just let go. Be free from entertainment obsession. Free.

My siblings and I have enjoyed the How to Train Your Dragon series. Now, I know it’s about Vikings (of sorts) and there are some pagan religion references. But I would say that the story is mainly focused on dragons, friends, and adventures. There’s a brief mention of Thor every once in awhile. But there do not seem to be any underlying pagan themes or secular agendas. So, thus far, I have felt like the movies and shows involved with How to Train Your Dragon are an okay choice for a fun movie night every now and then. Big Hero 6 is another of the few animated movies I really liked.

We watched the live-action Aladdin, which I think was an okay, and super fun, movie. And also, live-action Cinderella (so glamorous!), while we’re talking about Disney.

There are faith-based movies that are so great to watch, such as October Baby, Grace Card, Unbroken: Path to Redemption, Woodlawn, Unplanned, Indivisible, Beyond the Mask, God’s Not Dead, Princess Cut, I Can Only Imagine, Amazing Grace, Mom’s Night Out, Like Arrows, and The Case for Christ. I have really liked most of the Kendrick Brother Films; some of their best being War Room, Courageous, Overcomer, and Fireproof.

There are movies based on Christian allegories, such as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and Voyage of the Dawn Treader!

There are fun, clean, girly movies like Little Women, Love’s Enduring Promise, Anne of Green Gables, Pride and Prejudice, The Magic of Ordinary Days, Sense and Sensibility, Felicity: An American Girl Adventure, The Sound of Music, Belle, Little Women, Sarah, Plain and Tall, and Holiday Inn.

There are movies that simply tell an intriguing story of people, politics, and art, such as Desert Dancer.

I do enjoy watching movies. I love a good story. Superb acting. Emotional drama. A quality film that is pleasing to the eye. I don’t want to be legalistic. But neither do I want to be enslaved – so desperate to watch a movie that I’m making all sorts of “little” compromises.

Don’t say: How far can I go?

But rather: How can I honor God through my entertainment choices?

As I conclude this post, I wonder what people will think of me when they read it. The truth is, I don’t like to be looked at as odd. I don’t like being different. I really want to fit in, most days. I don’t like confronting or causing awkwardness and discomfort. I’d rather just be liked and belong.

However, Jesus Christ does tell us that the world will hate us. He says to be in the world, but not of it. To not be conformed to this world. I’m not going to fit in with the world. I’m going to disagree with fellow Christians sometimes, too – though we’re called to strive for unity and love!

John 17:14-19

¹⁴ I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. ¹⁸ As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Despite my desire to fit in, I need to stick to what I think God is calling me to do as I study His Word, pray, and seek Him! And you need to hold to your convictions. And none of us should ever deem ourselves done growing. Or having reached the desired maturity as a Christian. We all need to be seeking Jesus Christ and striving to follow Him more whole-heartedly until our dying day.

Go forth in grace, dear readers! ❤

Philippians 3:12-14

¹² Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴ I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.