Media Alert!
December 2024
Blog #61
Sue Summers
MediaSavvyKids.org
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2, NIV)
Making wise decisions – it’s the skill we use to maneuver our way through life. And our media-saturated world just layers the complexity. Because the overload of information is everywhere, discernment is critical. But how do we develop that discernment? Here is a 2-step process that can be valuable: Ponder and Pray.
Step 1: Ponder
The Bible gives us an excellent example of pondering.
The story of Jesus’ birth is significant. Joseph and Mary were heading to Bethlehem to follow the requirements of the census. However, there was no room for them in the inn. Mary was great with child and needed to find a suitable place to have the baby. The inn-keeper said they could stay in the barn – a meager manger. The baby was born there, and the angels appeared to the nearby shepherds to announce the birth of the Messiah. Then Luke 2:15-19 tells us:
“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
She pondered these things in her heart. Ponder is a word we don’t use very often.
Merriam-Webster.com defines ponder this way: “to think about: reflect on”. Another definition is: “to consider carefully; to weigh mentally.”
Another example of ponder in the Bible is found in Psalm 111:1-2:
“Hallelujah! I want to express publicly before his people my heartfelt thanks to God for his mighty miracles. All who are thankful should ponder them with me.”
The term, “selah”, is used 71 times throughout the Psalms and 3 times in the book of Habakkuk and is often translated as “to pause and reflect”. Consider this usage in Psalm 24:10:
“Who is this King of glory? Jehovah of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah”
So, Step 1 in this “decision-making process” is to ponder – to think about and to pause and reflect. Certainly, this includes comparing and contrasting the new information to what is already known. As we take in a myriad of information each day, it is necessary to our well-being that we take time to contemplate the meaning and ramifications of the messages.
Step 2: Pray
Step 2 is to pray. So often decisions are made quickly, reacting to the pressure of the moment, without any consideration of God’s plans or expectations. We understand that praying is speaking to – and listening to – our heavenly Father. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus, himself, modeled that for us by spending time praying to His Father.
“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God.” Luke 6:12
Jesus prayed before making decisions, and so should we.
So how can we help teens become media-savvy about the culture that surrounds them?
Teens have already had a lot of experience in making decisions, and as the adults in their lives, we can help them develop the “discernment-making process”. Use these discussion starters to motivate pondering (thinking and reflecting) and praying.
• Share, “Daily we take in new information through the mass media – news reports, TV, radio, social media, and other Internet sources – and must determine whether to accept, modify, or dismiss new facts and data. Everyone makes decisions every day. Knowing how to make good decisions is critical to our well-being.”
• Ask, “What decisions have you had to make recently?”
• Share, “Money is often the stimulus for making decisions. As you receive gifts, earn funds, or plan on future college choices, it’s necessary to choose wisely regarding money.”
• Share, “Here is a simple 2-step process that may help you with decisions. The first step is to ‘ponder’. That means think about and reflect, based on your current situation and information. This requires some time and an intentional focus.”
• Share, “The second step is to pray. Often, we make decisions too quickly and may later regret them. It’s important to take time to pray to our heavenly Father about what to do and then wait to hear His suggestions.”
• Ask, “Did you know that Jesus spent time in prayer with His heavenly Father? He even said:
“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” Matthew 26:39
• Ask, “Are you surprised that Jesus would spend time praying?” Discuss their answers.
• Share, “C. S. Lewis, author of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe – and so much more – said, ‘“Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of.’ Let’s talk about how seemingly small decisions can direct our paths.”
• Ask, “Do you have any upcoming decisions in your life that you are unsure about? I am willing to help you learn and practice this 2-step process.”
• Remind teens of this process occasionally and offer to help with their decisions.
Note: Share this blog with your church’s youth pastor as a lesson for youth group gatherings.
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Sue Summers is a Christian media analyst, teacher, author, and speaker.
She is the Director of Media Alert!
Contact Info:
Blogs: MediaSavvyKids.org
Website: http://www.MediaAlert.org
Email: Sue@MediaAlert.org
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