Published 9/12/19
By Greg Johnson
What If...
Mom gets a part-time job for a couple of weeks, but it means that you can’t come directly home after school. Instead, Mom makes arrangements with Jill’s mom to have you go over to her house every day until about 5:15. Then you can ride your bike home. Jill is a good friend from school, though not your best friend. Her family doesn’t attend church.
Normally when you get to her house, you have a quick snack and then go and do your homework. This arrangement actually works out well. Since there are no distractions like there are at your own home, you’re able to get all your work done. That way you have your evenings free.
At the beginning of the second week, you get to her house, eat something and do your homework as usual. But this day you don’t have much to do, so you’re left with about an hour to kill. Jill turns on the radio and starts channel surfing down the dial. She goes quickly by a couple of your favorite stations and lands on 1555 AM, KJNK.
You’ve never sat and listened to this station before because you’ve heard about it from your friends at school (and your parents wouldn’t let you anyway). As the DJ rambles on and on, you can see why they call the station K-Junk. About every other word out of this guy’s mouth is either a swear word or a dirty joke about some ethnic group. Jill is laughing and having a good time listening, and you... well, some of what he’s saying does seem pretty funny, but the hard rock music that’s playing between all the verbal trash isn’t the style you like.
Questions to Think On
• Since not everyone shares your values about what to listen to (or watch), what can you do to protect yourself when something you don’t appreciate is going on around you?
• What do you think is the best way to know whether something you’re listening to or watching is a good idea?
• Have you ever heard of the word “discernment?” What do you think it means?
• Mom and Dad: Why is learning to discern good from evil so important?
What Does God Have to Say?
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12
For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. Matthew 13:15-16
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