My Broken TV

A long time ago I bought a VHS/TV combo. Today I've pretty much converted to DVD, So I gave that TV to my mother. About a 4 month ago this TV started doing something really strange. She would turn it on and then, after about five seconds, it would turn itself off or the picture would go. The rest of the TV seems to be working OK. The reception is good and changing channels and etc. However, it simply refuses to stay on! So, it is useless to her as it sits in her living room waiting for her to decide whether she wants to get it fixed or not.

I’ve been thinking about that television and how some Christians have the same problem. Consider that there are some Christians who turn on for a short period of time, but then they quickly turn off again until someone else comes along and pushes their button. I’m thinking about those Christians who may attend services only once in a while, get all fired up, and then go right back into a worldly pattern of living. Perhaps we can learn a few lessons from mothers on again/off again television.

First, it is extremely difficult to watch a television when it turns off every five seconds. Consider the difficulty for unbelievers to observe the pure Christian life in the on again/off again Christian. Unbelievers watch Christians and evaluate our behavior based upon our own standards of right and wrong. If I’m an on again/off again Christian, my behavior isn’t going to be consistent with those standards. My speech won’t be pure; my lifestyle may not be pure; perhaps my marriage will be on the rocks. People will see me as a hypocrite and not a true Christian. Christians must live as Christians. Paul says we walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7) and that faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). We must know God’s word and live by it in order to live the life of faith so that we won’t be an on again/off again Christian.

Second, just as her television is in obvious need of repair, so is the on again/off again Christian. How does this Christian repair his life? He repents! Paul told all of those who he taught both Jews and Gentiles to turn to God and do works worthy of repentance (Acts 26:20). Peter told Simon the sorcerer to repent when he sinned against God and pray for forgiveness (Acts 8:22). Simon then asked Peter to pray for him. On again/off again Christians need to have this attitude as well. We can be forgiven of our sins if we ask. God is willing to forgive, if we repent (2 Peter 3:9) and He will forgive up to seventy times seven in one day if our repentance is from the heart (Matthew 18:22). This is great incentive to live like a Christian every day.

Third, just as her on again/off again television is useless to her, so also, the on again/off again Christian is useless to Jesus. If he fails to repent he’ll be like the Laodiceans inRevelation 3:16. Jesus said because they were lukewarm, he would spew them out of his mouth and “No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” ( Luke 9:62). Jesus’ message in Matthew 25 is that the on again/off again Christian will find himself with the unfaithful in the final judgment.

We have resolved what to do with her television and heres something for you all. Let’s resolve not to be on again/off again Christians. When God pushes our button to “on” he expects it to stay on and not to give up. If we turn off, let’s repent and turn back on quickly. We don’t want to disappoint Him.