Why it is not wise for a Christian to watch secular television shows on Sunday

Newscaster in Television Studio — Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

Sunday is a day most Christians chose to dedicate their time to God yet too few Christians are religious to this dedication. Many things have changed from when the Bible was compiled and so people now claim that Sunday is a day where one should only make time to fellowship with others but all other activities can be done before and after such time.

Christians should be mindful of the fact that the devil’s prime purpose is to disrupt people from God by all means. If it means giving people some earthly offers, he will do that just so people forget about God. Even when you are in church, the devil would want to remind you of things that would disturb your participation or even cause you to move out of church. I have been reminded of windows that could have been left open during a service, gates not closed, stove not switched off, iron left on, etc. all these disrupted my focus on God while I was in church.

Television

Television is a tool that the devil uses a lot and many Christians are not aware of this. Some Christians that have been warned about this reality yet they dispute this, forgetting that the devil is cunning. As a matter of fact, the devil has even hijacked some of traditional church activities such as music, poems, sermons and testimonies. That is why it is very important to be selective on the Christian channels and programs you watch on television because not all of them are clear of evil influence.

When you watch circular television programs on Sunday, you are opening yourself up to information that can digress your focus from God. You are also exposing yourself to interests that may keep you glued to the television and possibly omit going to church that day. Similarly, you may want to cut your attendance short because you want to catch up on programs that are of interest to you.

The Holy Spirit may talk to you on Sunday but your ears could be deafened by the sounds of circular programs in your mind. Unknowingly, it can be easy for you to shift responsibility to others for things that the Holy Spirit wants corrected in the church. You become a person that does not participate in after service activities because you are mindful of a television programs you don’t want to miss.

I want to quote an example that could have made me abandon church today. Services have been going on for four days and today was the last day. The same person has been preaching and I thought I already knew his line of preaching and therefore felt tempted to skip the last sermon. As I was thought of leaving, I asked myself this question, ‘what will I do when I get home earlier than usual?’ The answer was, ‘Nothing’. Why? The answer is in the next section.

Helping myself dedicate Sunday to God

I made it a family resolution not to watch circular television programs on Sunday and not to do any form of work, avoid shopping and limit family visits. On Sunday, my family focuses on Christian television channels. If there are none worth watching, I encourage my household to switch the television off. This has helped me rid myself of possible excuses to rush my family time with God. When I go to church, I switched my mind to knowing that nothing in this world is worth disturbing my time with God, particularly when I’m in church in fellowship with other believers.

Sometimes my family violates this rule and sometimes it is me doing that. However, I can stand for the truth that this has helped me focus more on God on Sundays and maximized my exposure to things that edify my spirit just on the day I publicly proclaim is dedicated to God.

Conclusion

Pray about this issue if you feel I’m a bit extreme and God will guide you accordingly. I know this may sound weird but the purpose is good. Taking your Christian living seriously means doing things that the world may think are stupid. We are all called to work out our salvation with diligence and I believe this is one way into that effort.

Before I sign off, I want to suggest an article on ’10 steps to maintain your salvation’. Be blessed.