Just Don’t Look or Listen
In a world of abundant and constant audio, visual and data, we could be fed constant distraction, entertainment and adrenaline rushes. We could be soothed, pleasured, amped up, fighting against, fantasizing, escaping every moment of the day—with minimal effort on our parts.
The questions are, though,
who am I?
who do I want to be?
what do I want my life to be about?
who and what do I want to serve?
who and what am accountable to?
who and what am I responsible for?
what do I want to feed my spirit?
what am I investing in on a soul level?
at the end of my life, what will I have to say to God about my choices and how I’ve lived?
Like it or not, we aren’t fragmented. What we do in private is still our doing it. We bring ourselves, our spirits, our souls, and what we’ve invested into, wherever we go, into every interaction.
I’ve known people who believe that they can just change their values and who they are in each setting, in each scenario that they put themselves in. These people don’t have an integrated sense of self. They don’t have integrity. But yet these same people are “do-gooders,” avoid conflict, seem “nice,” “fun,” and/or easy-going on the surface—as if that gives them a free pass to be secretly unethical, immoral, and without standards and principles
Many of these people focus on performance rather than character. They are obsessed with pleasant-sounding voices and appearances rather than the truth, honesty, transparency and growth. Many of these people will be sneaky, hidden, aloof, and even gossip and smear characters—yet, they see nothing wrong with it because they only identify with their surface-level performances. Their fraudulent way-of-being will get under the skin of empaths, truth-seekers, intuitive, awake, genuine, conscientious and sincere people; and the performers sometimes get reactions out of such people—only to point their finger and say “See what a bad guy that person is?”
Despite their fragmentation, dysfunctions and denial, they still indeed each are just one, single person and accountable for themselves fully and completely.
So what do we do with everything coming at us?
Simple: Just don’t look. Just don’t listen.
There might be something that strikes your curiosity. But take a moment and address the questions I listed above. Usually it’s best to dismiss your curiosity. Let to be. Turn to what nurtures your spirit and soul instead. Turn to that which is good and pure (fruits of the spirit). And don’t trick yourself into thinking something is good; but isn’t God’s version of good. (And remember, God is a just God. Not a pushover or a wimp.)
I’ve heard many people say to those who find things inappropriate, “Shame on you for sexualizing that.” That’s a trap. That’s a trick. Don’t fall for it. Good for you for your judgement and discernment. Those who shame you for turning away from what your soul and spirit know to be inappropriate, shaming you for sexualizing, most likely have adjusted their moral compass to allow inappropriate things into their spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
Do you need support in doing the right thing in a culture of moral relativism? Please contact me. I’d love to help you.