Where do you think we hear most of the world’s lies? Seriously, stop and think about it.

Now that you’ve thought about it, I have a test for you. This test is simple, but you have to do it yourself.

Are you ready?

Turn off your TV for a week.

Yes, that’s right, a whole week. No sitcoms, no movies, not even cartoons. Nada. Nothing.

Are you kidding? A whole week! How will I survive? What will I do?

There’s no need to get all that melodramatic about it. It’s just television. But . . . are you really thinking right now that you can’t live without it for one week? If so, that’s exactly why you need to take this test.

The TV test will tell you three things:

1. Are you addicted to the world’s lies?
Do you feel totally aimless without your TV?
Do you make your plans around your favorite shows?
The above are signs of addiction—the same addiction people have with alcohol or drugs or other worthless junk.

2. Does the stuff you feed into your life really affect who you are?
During your week away from TV:
Do you find yourself less tempted to think about sex? Do you notice less sarcasm and cutting words coming from your mouth? Is it easier to see the world’s lies in the way people think and talk about life?
What you feed your brain affects your thinking the same way that what you feed your mouth affects your body. Too many French fries, and you know what’s going to happen.

The world loves telling you lies, because the world is controlled by Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44). And the more you listen, the more you start to think according to those lies. You may find yourself thinking things such as:
I don’t have to listen to my parents, because they just don’t understand.
A little lie isn’t as bad as a big one.
I can get his attention with my body, and he’ll care about my personality later.
Cheating just this once won’t hurt; it’s not like I killed anybody.
Wearing this shirt is OK; all the other girls wear tighter ones.
I can go as far as I want and still have the willpower to stop before sex. It’s just one drink; I don’t want to offend anyone.

3. Are there other areas of your life where you’re listening to the world?
After a week away from TV, do you find that:
The books you’re reading are making you uncomfortable?
Your friends talk about things that now bother your conscience?
You feel like leaving the theater because you know you’re watching something that doesn’t please God?
So after you’ve done the test, then what?

The Choice
If you find yourself addicted to shows, books or friends that fill your mind with lies from the world, you’re going to have to make a decision. God’s ways and the world’s ways are at war all the time. You can’t live a happy life trying to keep both of them (James 4:4-5).

If you choose God, then the junk that’s pulling you away from God has to go.

But after you eliminate the junk, then what?

Well, you’ve got a void there. Now you need to fill it up with something else.

If it’s:

Steamy Romance Novels: Trash them and pick up a book from the “Brio Girl” series instead or find some great books at the Focus on the Family online resource center at family.org.

Philosophy at School: Well, you can’t just drop out of school. Test what you hear in school next to the Word of God. Talk about it with a godly older person. In time, you’ll be able to recognize and reject the lies in the world’s philosophies.

Movies: Change your must-see list. Before watching a movie, check out the review at pluggedinonline.com to see if it’s something you should be feeding your mind.

Friends: It’s going to be hard at first, but you’re going to need to step back from those friends and find some who will help you be closer to God, not farther away. Not that you’ll never see your old friends again, but they won’t be the people you go to for advice, comfort or to talk about what’s really important in life.

The most important step of all is filling your mind with the best there is: God’s Word! Are you reading your Bible every day and letting it teach you who God wants you to be? Are you praying? Are you memorizing verses? God’s truth is the best weapon of all against the world’s lies.

The TV test is an easy one. The real-life test is harder. It’s based on the choices you make every single day. You can be the Princess that you are (Psalm 45:13).

Are you willing?

Well, then, turn off the TV, grab your Bible and start checking out how to be the happy, content woman God wants you to be!