“Sex and the City changed everything for me, because those girls would sleep with so many people.”
Lindsay Lohan
The show itself is not a trigger for me, but I have 50 other TV shows and 200 movies that I could substitute. Media that has shaped the way I think about sexuality, mostly for the worst. No doubt, I am short on godly media influences and large on worldly.
WHY DO HBO AND SHOWTIME SHOWS CAPTURE OUR ATTENTION SO MUCH?
Dozens of friends have told me that I needed to watch shows that I know would be bad for my purity journey: Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Dexter, Hung, House of Cards and yes, Sex and the City. It seems the best writers for shows and some of the best actors have moved away from film and the major television networks.
Is this what’s drawing me to view these shows?
Good writing? Possibly.
Word of mouth from my friends? Yes, to a certain extent.
Or… is it the fleshly desire I have in me to watch shows I know would have sexy scenes and push the media boundaries I’ve set up in my purity strategy? BINGO!
I am compelled by my mind and my heart to watch these shows. I, and maybe you, have bit the hook and watched trailers and free preview weekends of shows that trigger us. Or maybe caught a couple of these shows in syndication and thought “they’re not really THAT bad.”
Even Lindsay Lohan could be honest about the influence sexually charged shows had on her.
Let’s not be deceived. We reap what we sow into our lives.
TIPS TO DEAL WITH THE “PULL” OF QUESTIONABLE SHOWS
1. Boundaries have to be drawn – Don’t mess around. Be aggressive about your purity strategy. You can’t go to some channels or watch certain types of movies anymore. Your boundaries are part of your battle plan.
2. Your pulls have to be shared with someone – It’s not a sin to be tempted. But if we hide our desire it gives it power. Bring it out into the open.
3. Your lapses have to be shared with someone (confession) – Again, we take the power out of the struggle when we talk about it.
4. Fill the gap with godly and healthy – We have to find good alternatives to fill the gap with. Healthy passions. Find another show that’s better for you. Dive into reading or writing. Get to the gym. Conquer a book in the bible you’ve never studied before. Get to the gym as part of your routine.
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Jeff Fisher podcasts regularly on his show Top Tips For Sexual Purity Podcast (I-Tunes)). He and his wife run the site PorntoPurity.com and live in the Raleigh, NC area.