By bro Lee Tian Seng
As parents, we need to protect our children from the evil influence of immoral entertainment. There is so much profanity and obscenity in television shows, movies, internet and social media. We need to recognise that such influence can corrupt the minds of our children, and it does matter because it can draw them away from God and cause them to lose their souls.
We need to make the right choice in turning our children away from the source of evil influence. We should learn not to make the unwise choice of Lot. He chose the land of Sodom because it was rich and fertile, and did not care that his children would be influenced by its wicked and sinful inhabitants.
Genesis 13:11-13 - Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.
To begin with, parents themselves need to evaluate if their own choice of entertainment is sinful. If parents cannot set a good example for their children, it will be difficult for them to instruct their children to choose entertainment that is healthy and acceptable to God.
Parents need to teach their children to be wary of wicked influences and to have nothing to do with sinful things.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 - Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
Ephesians 5:11-12 - And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
They should teach their children not to watch TV programmes and movies that have violence, coarse language and sexual immorality. Nor should they view such in the digital media. Parents should control their children’s access to corrupted content in the TV by only allowing them to watch certain shows or to watch with them. They can also protect their children by installing parental control software in their computers.
Instead of letting children view what they like, parents should help their children to only watch what is pure, good and acceptable to God.
Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
They should help their children to evaluate and choose good and family-friendly TV shows and movies. They can encourage them by watching such shows together with them. If there is nothing worthy to watch, then just do not watch. Instead, find other pastimes. For example, parents can bring their children to the park or go fishing. They can also encourage them to take up sports, which will provide good fun and help them develop physically.
When parents teach their children from young about what God desires for us concerning the choice of entertainment, they will be more prepared to deal with the wicked influences of the world when they grow up.
Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.