Stop Taking In Bad News - It'll Brighten Your Countenance

Ecclesiastes 1:18

Be careful not to subject yourself to too much bad news - a constant drip of bad news can take a terrible toll on your soul

Soul Food

Ecclesiastes 1:18

“For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.”

Soul Search

• Are you a news junkie?
  When your TV or radio is on is it often tuned to the news?

• Are you in front of screens a lot either watching movies or TV programs or playing video games?
  What kind of messaging and content is consistently being poured out on you?

• Can you objectively say that the content that you take ‘on board’ is healthy and uplifting for your mood, outlook and disposition?

• Can you think of times that after you’ve watched bad, depressing content it has directly affected your mood and outlook?
  Can you cite a specific example?

Soul Moves

• If you take on board sad, depressing, bad news, it can pull your countenance and disposition down. Practice turning the news off sooner than you normally do and limit your exposure to it.

• Establish your own personal movie rating boundaries.
  Refuse, for example, to watch movies that have an ‘R’ or an ‘MA’ rating.
  Ask your husband or wife or life partner to be your accountability partner to hold you to your boundaris.

• Ask God, by His Holy Spirit, to give you the wisdom to shield your eyes and ears from anything that will have the tendency to pull your mood and countenance down.

• Start fasting from watching TV or listening to the radio so that you have more time to read God’s Word and have His Word build you up and encourage you.