PG 13?

I’d like to talk to my Christian friends this morning about something.

I was looking for a movie to watch and at the beginning, I saw this. PG 13, huh?

A PG 13 rating is alerting us that content may be inappropriate for children under 13. I wondered, when did it become appropriate for 13+ to be exposed to sexual content, drug use, nudity, and strong language?

A little Googling and I discovered this admission: “Today’s PG-13 movies often contain significantly more profanity than PG-13 films did in the 1980s or early 1990s. While the official rating category hasn’t changed, what is considered acceptable within that category has shifted over time.”

What is considered acceptable has shifted. Boy has it. You know the frog in the kettle scenario? Gradual change can be more dangerous than sudden change because people become accustomed to it. You know it’s true. The shift in movie ratings is only one example. All day long the kettle temp is turned up on us a tiny bit so we don’t really notice. It’s so minor we acclimate, adjust, accept. I admit, I have.

If any of us become aware and are alarmed and cry danger, danger—we are labeled, shamed, dismissed…. But seriously y’all, what are we doing? Things like sexual content, drug use, nudity and foul language is not only acceptable but is now entertainment. Think about it. Isn’t that crazy?

As followers of Jesus, it’s concerning enough that we adults have accepted these changes but now we allow minors to be entertained by behavior that should not be acceptable. Sex, nudity, F-bombs galore, games that kill and destroy. Our kids are being desensitized by these things almost from the womb.

Maybe we can’t change the world, but we can control what comes into our homes. We can set standards, rules, boundaries, filters but if we don’t apply them to our own lives, then we are the problem.

No, we can’t protect the minors forever and they leave your homes everyday. So what’s the answer?

A deep and intimate relationship with Jesus. It’s our love for Him that causes us to want to be more like him in our attitudes and behaviors. Without that it’s just rules and rules don’t change hearts. If we want our wants to change we need our hearts to change and only Jesus can do that. Further, only His Word shows us the heart of Jesus. True for us and our kids.

I’m telling you the truth…it’s not easy staying focused on Jesus. As with any relationship it takes constant connection. As with any relationship, it takes work. Focus. Intentionality. Commitment. Priority.

Y’all, we can live godly lives because we love Jesus. But you know what? We need each other. We need examples, reminders, help, prayers, teaching. Otherwise our hearts grow cold, we lose heart in doing good and then we forget the why behind our living.

Am I right?