Before you read
So there’s this stuff that raved about twitter for a while and still goes round occasionally: Unpopular opinion. You state something most people do not believe in but that you strongly do.
When I decided (quite impulsively) to write on Game of thrones, I thought to myself, well here’s an unpopular opinion.
Should it be though? My opinion shouldn’t be unpopular among Christians if it is based on God’s word. Don’t buy into the lie that each Christian should live differently – rather we have a common faith, there is no favourite with God, his standard is sure for all generations 2 Timothy 2:19.
As you read, know that there is no tension in God’s word, if there’s any tension, its with us.
So let’s get right into it!
Ah, Still hold up! This post is for Christians, beautiful people. If you’re not a Christian, I can very well understand your annoyance.
I was hall representative in my fellowship close to two years back now (This means hall pastor). At that time, Game of Thrones was trending. It later died down so I forgot about it but its noise increased in the past few months as the anticipation for season 8 came up.
At the time I was hall rep, I put together a short advice to the members of my hall church on our Whatsapp page and it is below:
Good afternoon everyone.
Something has been on my mind for a while and who else to share it with than you all?We need to be mindful of the things we feed our bodies, souls and spirits with. Very mindful. We are Jesus people and we can’t afford to get contaminated. We stand out with purpose.
This is about that popular TV series “Game of thrones”. This series has taken the world by a storm. Please I plead with you to desist from seeing it. It troubles my spirit. I’ve never seen it before but I know it’s not the best.
There are much better entertainments for you, without you welcoming evil spirits. I confess to you that I’ve seen the movie ‘twilight’ before and I know its not good for Christians. This Game of thrones seems to be the same and extremely prolonged for a purpose.You can exercise discipline to stop seeing it if you’ve started. You can pray it out of your desires.
Just imagine how it has taken most people worldwide and held them captive. Scriptures says “don’t become so well adjusted to your society that you fit in without thinking”. Please think. Don’t let this sap out God’s current dealings with you. There is more to it than meets the eye, contend for the faith.
A word is enough for the wise.
God bless us all.
Romans 8:1-2 “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
With love,
From your sister
Today, I find that I still don’t have much to write other than the bible passage above, and if you’re in need of more passages, here are two others:
1.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
Whatever sets your mind outside the course of intimacy with God, that thing is your enemy, don’t cuddle it. Your heart and mind is the primary way God speaks to you as a believer, don’t let it become misty. Of course, this goes beyond game of thrones to other things (including other movies).
2.
“But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:32)
Rather than saying to yourself, “its not that bad, I can handle it”. Rather than quietening your discomfort by focusing on the thrill of the movie, be honest with yourself that seeing this movie is not coming from a place of faith. The swearing, the sex scenes, the worldview it projects…(at this stage, we’re broadly discussing movies). Your desire to be in tune with the Holyspirit should supersede your curiosity for an interesting movie, if you’re properly developing.
Finally, on the issue of nudity.
Desiringgod.org has an article on GOT(12 questions to ask before watching GOT). When I read it, I remembered someone mentioned once that GOT is very graphic, sexually. John Piper of Desiringgod.org invites us to join him in the pursuit of purity of heart and mind. Don’t let us become so well adjusted to our daily culture that we fit in without thinking, thereby ruining our witness.
Christians do not conform – this is not a mouth confession, its a lifestyle profession.
Whatever tension you may feel now, whatever discomfort, its coming from one of two places:
– My reference to evil spirits in my address to those hall members two years ago, lol.
-Your inner discomfort because you know this is right and you have a candid choice to make. You probably preferred not having a choice to make by not considering the matter seriously but then, I just ruined that.
We’re the ones who need to change, not God. Certainly not God.
If this opinion is still unpopular with you as a Christian, lets discuss below.
Love and light,
Debby
