How Can We Cut The Cord On Cable TV?

"Christianity Questions and Answers" podcast CQA 048

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This question comes from Addy who wrote; “Hi Mark, I love reading your posts when I have time and when it’s time to vote I also check out your blog for guidance! I have an unusual question and thought I would check with you first, we are getting ready to cut the cord on cable TV and I wanted to know if you have any suggestions on what other alternative is offered.”

This might seem like an odd question for this podcast, but actually it has a lot to do with Christlikeness when you understand why she was asking.

Addy later explained that her motivations for cutting cable TV were twofold:

There is so much immorality on cable TV.

Cable costs a lot of money.

I commend Addy and all of you who are wanting to avoid the immorality on cable TV these days. Please listen to this podcast for ideas for what to do.

Here are some of the verses that are cited in this podcast: 

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.” (Ephesians 5:3-6 NIV) 

“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 4:11 NIV) 

Here are alternatives to cable TV that are mentioned in this podcast:

Pureflix and others like it. Disclosure: I am an affiliate with Pureflix. Please see the ad on the right side of my website to sign up and get your first month for free.The Internet—just be sure to use a good filter,An HD antennaRoku or other similar brands (TV through the internet—need a broadband connection)Parental controls if continuing to use cable 

An interesting side note:

When our kids were younger and Carolyn’s sister was still living, we used to drive to Colorado to visit in the summer time. One of our favorite stops along the way was the small town of Beaver, Utah.

There wasn’t much there, however we enjoyed visiting the “squeaky cheese factory.” It was called that because the cheese was so moist that it squeaked when you chewed it.

But Beaver, Utah also has a famous son. He was the inventor of television. Do you know who it was? It was Philo T. Farnsworth. 

Here is what he said about inventing: “I know that God exists. I know that I have never invented anything. I have been a medium by which these things were given to the culture as fast as the culture could earn them. I give all the credit to God.”—Philo T. Farnsworth 

(By the way, little Beaver is also the birthplace of the famous outlaw Butch Cassidy.) 

To listen to this podcast just hit the play button above to listen.

For more help with Current Ethical issues check out these resources from my site:

• Podcast: Should Christians gamble?

• The Abortion Issue Made Easy

• Podcast: Is interracial marriage biblical?

• Podcast: Is divorce OK if things just aren’t working?

• Can a Christian Support Gay Marriage?

• What Scripture Says About Homosexuality: Uncut, Uncensored and Unedited

• Podcast: What does the Bible say about Euthanasia?

To learn more about this “Christianity Questions and Answers” podcast and how to submit your questions, click HERE. 

To receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord click HERE.

To develop your relationship with God, get my free eBook “10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth” click HERE.

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How To Avoid Comparison In A World Filled With It

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Recently I was sharing with friends the impact of my online ministry and that I’d just reached 2,500 subscribers. They were impressed, yet I was feeling frustrated by a lack of progress. Why? Because of comparison with those who have bigger online impact. I’m still learning to avoid comparison (although I’m getting better).

This isn’t me, but it’s about what I looked like. CC Image courtesy of Flickr

Our world is filled with comparison. We’re graded in school based on comparison with our peer’s performance. Sporting events are usually determined by comparison and beating the other team. Companies and products are compared. Performers are compared. Candidates are compared. Preachers are compared.

Yet the results of comparing can be quite negative:

01.  If we feel we don’t measure up, we risk jealousy, self-pity and losing confidence. (For more help, I wrote about these subjects in 4 Ways to Find Contentment Now, How to Find Confidence in a Critical World and Stay Humble and How to Survive Rejection and Find Acceptance Today)

02. If we feel superior, we risk becoming prideful and arrogant. (I wrote about pride in What is the Worst Sin in the World? and Who Will Get the Biggest Mansion in Heaven?)

So what can we do to avoid comparison and its hurtful consequences? The Bible gives guidance on this topic in Galatians 6:4-5 which says “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” (NLT)

In these two verses I see three ways to avoid comparison:

01. Focus on your own performance.

This passage begins by saying “Pay careful attention to your own work…” (Galatians 6:4a) 

Whose work am I to pay careful attention to? Not another writer, blogger, speaker, performer, celebrity, athlete, coworker, etc.

We’re told to pay careful attention to our own work! 

What a liberating concept. While others might get caught up in comparison, we’re told just to do our own thing to the best of our ability. We’re not to worry about what the next guy is doing.

Not only does this free us from distractions, it also frees us to do our best.

Does this sound impossible? John Wooden proved it’s not only possible, it’s quite helpful. 

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden instructed his players not to worry about the score. He considered the score a distraction. Instead, he insisted that the only important issue was that they played to the best of their ability.

He wrote in a book simply titled Wooden, “Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is; did I make my best effort? That’s what matters. The rest of it just gets in the way.”

If you don’t know who John Wooden was, you might think this is a recipe for failure. Instead it was a recipe for immense success. Wooden’s teams won ten NCAA basketball championships in 12 years, including seven in a row.

They were one of the winningest teams in collegiate sports history. Part of their secret was that coach Wooden taught them to avoid comparison and simply focus on their own performance.

God simply wants you and me to be the best me that we can be. That’s our job and that’s all.

02. Take joy in a job well done, without comparing.

The verse continues: “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.” (Galatians 6:4 NLT)

When we avoid comparison and focus on doing our very best, we can achieve satisfaction no matter what.

We should take “satisfaction in a job well done,” without worrying about what someone else has done. 

I’m not saying this is easy to do, but I am saying we should do it because God says to. (Yes, I’m continuing to work on this!)

Children seem to be better at this. When about 8 years old, I found the courage to jump off the high diving board. Wow, I was so happy.

I got my mother to watch me jump over and over. She applauded. I had such a wonderful feeling of satisfaction and pleasure.

Good thing I didn’t compare my diving with others! I wasn’t doing back flips, jackknives or trying to go into the water without a splash so I could get a 9.8.

It was just pure joy in the fact that Markie could jump off the high dive!

While I didn’t get a gold medal for those dives, I got something better: a sense of achievement, self-confidence, and pure joy. With my mother celebrating my small accomplishment, I felt like a huge success.

Our Heavenly Father wants that same joyful feeling for all of us.

If we just focus on doing our best with the skills God has given us, we can take immense joy in our work, without comparing.

03. Prepare to give account for only one person.

The next verse says “For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” (Galatians 6:5 NLT)

This is also a liberating thought—I don’t report to God for anyone besides myself.

Thus, if I’m thinking about other people’s performance, I’m thinking about the wrong persons.

Too often we think about how others are doing, when that’s really not our business. We can avoid comparison by remembering that they report for themselves, and we report for ourselves.

You might find it surprising to learn how much pastors compare. It can get really ugly—I know this from personal experience. I wrote about one of my worst times of pastor comparison in 4 Ways to Find Contentment Now.

To compare ourselves with others is not only wrong, it’s dumb. We have different situations, backgrounds, health conditions and so on. In addition, God is sovereignly working behind the scenes in ways that we don’t control.

A biblical example of unhealthy comparison occurred in the Corinthian church. They were comparing pastors. The Apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 3 to help them avoid comparison.

He compared himself as founding pastor to a planter. He compared Pastor Apollos to one who waters what had been planted. Then he wrote, “He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.” (1 Corinthians 3:8 ESV)

By being “one” Paul meant that they were not opponents, but on the same team. The two pastors weren’t in competition with each other. They were in competition with the devil and all those who oppose the Gospel!

Comparison wasn’t healthy for anyone: Apollos, Paul, and the Corinthian church members.

His final point was, “…and each will receive his wages according to his labor.” (1 Corinthians 3:8b ESV)

All will give an account for only one person. So just think about your own report! Let’s not focus on others. Let’s just focus on serving Jesus as best we can so that we hear these words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:23) 

For more help, here are other articles I’ve written on similar topics:

• How to Survive Rejection and Find Acceptance Today

• How Reluctant Leaders Become Confident Achievers for God

• 3 Contradictions of Scripture

• What is the Worst Sin in the World?

• Having Just One Person to Please Brings Peace

• How to Find Confidence in a Critical World and Stay Humble

• 6 Strategies to Handle Insults Without Becoming a Doormat

• Video: Have You Been Pecked At?

• You Can Do It!How to be Big in God’s Kingdom When You Feel Small

PLEASE NOTE: Facebook and other social media are quite random. You might or might not see my next article. But email is reliable. In the box below, please subscribe to my updates via email so you won’t miss any of these articles, podcasts or videos.

Find Peace In A Rock Solid Foundation For Life

Jesus told the story of a wise man who built his house upon a rock. When the winds, rains and floods came, the house stayed strong on that rock solid foundation. But a foolish man built his house on sand. In bad weather, then house was lost. (See Matthew 7:24-27)

https://youtu.be/PO8ZtXvulME

His point: Everyone needs a solid foundation for life—otherwise we’re vulnerable.

Do you have a solid foundation?

Recently while hiking Stonewall Peak I came across a tree growing on a rock.

Watch this brief video to see my one-minute message. 

Other passages say similar things about having a rock solid foundation for life:

“The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin. When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous is established forever.” (Proverbs 10:8, 25 ESV)

“The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand.” (Proverbs 12:7 ESV)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6 ESV)

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1 ESV)

To learn more about having a solid foundation by building your life on the Word of Gpd, see these resources from this website:

• Facing Death Fearlessly

• Who Needs Jesus, I’m a Good Person

• Have You Written Your Own Bible?

• Having Just One Person to Please Brings Peace

• How to Age Gracefully in the Light of Jesus’ Resurrection