Avoiding the worthless lies of the world

It's hard living for Christ in a world that constantly bombards us with lies presented as truth. One of the easiest areas for the devil to slip lies into our heart and mind is through media. These areas are tricky because it can seem innocent to be entertained by a movie with questionable content, music with lyrics that dishonor God and his people because the tune is catchy or magazines that gossip about our celebrity brothers and sisters.

But check out what God says through Paul in Ephesians 5:8-11: "Since you have become the Lord's people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light, for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth. Try to learn what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness."

God is calling us to live apart from the worthless lies of the world, including the lies that penetrate our hearts and minds through media that isn't focused on honoring our Father. He is calling us to his light to protect us from believing things about ourselves and others that would cause hurt in our lives. He desires to bless us with a rich harvest (who doesn't want that?) and is calling us to his goodness, righteousness and truth that can only come from being immersed in his light. The more immersed we become in seeking our Father and what pleases him, the less we will desire entertainment choices that damage our heart and hinder the work God wants to complete in us.

Here are a few of the media choices God works through to shine his truth into my heart that I wanted to pass along:

* Susie magazine: This is a Christian magazine for teen girls with articles about everything girls face in day-to-day life from God's perspective. You'll find tips for dressing modestly, conversations with God on tough issues, and testimonies about what real girls are doing to be Christ to others. You can find it online at susiemag.com.

* "When Dreams Come True: a Love Story Only God Could Write," by Eric and Leslie Ludy: God changed the way I think about dating and relating to my brothers in Christ through this book. This is a book for anyone -- guys, girls, parents and teenagers. Told in three parts alternating between Eric and Leslie's points of view, it tells their true love story: before they knew each other or were surrendered to Christ, their friendship and their romance.

n 89.9 KHIS, 99.1 Joy FM radio stations: These play music that glorifies God and never fail to encourage me.

* TheDRIVEtv: A television show where five guys go on a road trip across America to share Christ's love by hearing the stories of the people they meet as the guys have life-living adventures. Check out their website and episodes for thedrivetv.com.

Mia Pohlman is a Perryville, Mo., native studying at Truman State University. She loves performing, God and the color purple -- not necessarily in that order.