Some changes are sudden and we can quickly correct course as needed. But many others are gradual. And if we’re not careful we end up like the proverbial frog that dies as the water around us slowly heats to a boil.
For example, the entertainment we consume today stands in stark contrast to what was available just a generation or two ago. What was prohibited before is now mainstream and likely taken for granted.
But we didn’t get here overnight.
It was a slow and steady change – and for our part, mostly unconscious. We simply grew more comfortable with what we were exposed to. And our expectations, preferences, and standards shifted accordingly.
This is not to suggest all the entertainment we consume today is bad. Rather it’s to highlight the subtle and yet profound shifts over time. Shifts we’re not always aware of, but that have a significant impact in shaping the man we become.
For better or worse, our environments influence us. And it’s important to regularly consider how, and if they’re shaping us in the direction of God’s best.
When they are not, it’s then our responsibility to jump out and not allow ourselves to be boiled to death due to our passivity and unwillingness to act.
This is true whether we’re dealing with entertainment, social thought, standards of morality or the like. In every area of life we need to be aware of the shifts being made and if we’re staying aligned with the highest good God has set for us.
Our enemy is crafty and rarely tempts us with the obvious sins at first. Rather it’s the slow boil over time that eventually takes us out. We’re distracted and increasingly comfortable and don’t realize the danger we’re in.
Don’t let what’s comfortable keep you from seeing danger. Stay alert and watch for those subtle shifts that bring death in the end.
Photo by James Lee FormerIP on Wikipedia
