on lent, and sacrifice.

I'm giving up TV for lent.

Actually I'm giving it up for good, just starting with Lent, but more on that in a minute.

I've done this before, for a limited time. It shouldn't be that big a deal, but it is. It's so much a habit that it's taking a lot of intention to follow through, especially now that I'm home (I was out of town all last week).

I realize that to some people this might seem a radical and unnecessary step. But I've been feeling convicted for quite a while about the sheer volume of hours that I spend watching TV shows (mostly online), and, more importantly, the things that I miss out on while I'm glued to my computer - opportunities to connect with people and love on them, work and projects that I want to complete that I think are meaningful, and sleep I'm not getting. Watching TV isn't something that I do well in moderation - so better to cut it out completely.

But the real conviction came when I read this post:

"We are commanded by God in the Scriptures that, when we hear His voice to not harden our hearts.

How do we harden our hearts? Simple…by KNOWING what God’s Word clearly says about something but refusing to obey because doing so might seriously interfere with the lifestyle that we are wanting to pursue...

My question is this…is there anything in your life that God seems to be relentless in coming after?

If so…are you repenting or defending? Because, when you defend what you are doing in the face of a Holy and awesome God who wants nothing but the best for you…then you are actively hardening your heart. AND…one day…you might not even be able to hear His voice anymore if you don’t deal with what He’s dealing with!"

~ Some Of The Scariest Verses In The Bible, Perry Noble

To think that some day I might not be able to hear his voice, because I'm refusing to be obedient in what he's asking of me, even in this small thing...that scares me. And that's why I'm giving up TV.

Just to be clear - I don't necessarily think that everyone who claims to follow Christ should give up TV altogether. Sometimes, obedience looks one way for one person, and different for another.