Was challenged by Russell Moore’s post yesterday, Can Romance Novels Hurt Your Heart? Here’s the conclusion:
How many disappointed middle-aged women in our congregations are reading these novels as a means of comparing the “strong spiritual leaders” depicted there with what by comparison must seem to be underachieving lumps lying next to them on the couch?
This is not to equate morally “romance novels” with the grave soul destruction of pornography. But it is worth asking, “Is what I’m consuming leading me toward contentment with my spouse (or future spouse) or away from it? Is it pointing me to the other in one-flesh union or to an eroticized embodiment of my own desires? Is this the mystery or a mirage?
You really should read his entire post…
However, I recognize that my heart can easily drift toward self-righteousness when my wife or another Christian woman is reading the “fluff stuff.” Therefore, I think we would do well to ask the question, how does what I read affect my heart? For some, the newspaper might affect your heart. For guys, in particular, it might be that catalog, motorcycle or golf magazine, or sports stuff. Just ask these questions about what you read…am I able to be discerning as I read, or is this holding too much sway or influence over me? Realize that what you ingest into your heart will come out of your mouth. Therefore, be careful what you read!