Fear or Faith?

It had been many years since I saw a horror flick. They all seemed to have immature language (commonly called mature language) and/or gratuitous sexual situations and imagery, and I don't watch those kind of films. But The Grudge came out a couple of years ago, and after consulting http://www.pluggedinonline.com/ for their take on the movie's cleanness, I took the family to see it. S-c-a-r-y. I think it affected me more than the average guy because I hadn't seen a fear flick for so long. I found myself fairly apprehensive during showers or in the dark for some days afterward. Since then, I've developed some thoughts about the horror genre, and about entertainment in general.

I was inspired to record these thoughts after listening to a Christian radio show which had as its topic: "How have TV or movies affected your thinking irrationally?" All of the callers recounted how horror films had haunted them for years or even decades--no one called about comedies or documentaries. No one regretted seeing the scary films; they were willing to live with their silly trepidations. I became somewhat angry when not one but two callers wished that God hadn't removed much of their capacity to be afraid at these movies. Publicly complaining that God shouldn't have done something is just wrong, especially when the whiner is a professing Christian.

One of the most common phrases in the Bible is "Fear not." God says that "perfect love casts out fear," and that He "has not given us a spirit of fear." Is it wise, is it God's will, to seek to be frightened by images of saw-weilding madmen as a form of entertainment?

For thrills and adventure, I think it's better to go on a mission trip, give more than you can afford, or preach the Gospel in public than to partake of the fake Hollywood stuff or roller coasters or bungee jumping. The Lord designed each of us with an appetite for adrenaline rushes, and some crave it more often than others. But God wants each of us to get a regular "fix" by stepping out by faith in whatever adventure or risk He leads us into. That way, we'll be building our faith and accomplishing some good along with getting a buzz.