Should We Horde The TV?

My wife has been decluttering- getting rid of things that we seldom use so that we do not become like the people on that hoarders show. The only time we have seen Hoarders is when we have been away from home or watched it on the internet, because we do not have TV reception in our house. Thus as my wife has been decluttering, she has suggested getting rid of the TV. I have argued that without the TV, we could not watch anymore VCR tapes. Of course if we got rid of the TV, we would not have to hoard all those old tapes. - Really it is not a bad idea to have a house without television because so many of the programs on today are completely ungodly. I would not want our children to be able to watch whatever happened to be on. Does that mean that all TV is sinful? Not at all; in fact, part of the reason I do not want to get rid of the VCR is because I still have some tapes in that format that can be used for ministry. - The television is one of those electronically animated inanimate objects that has the potential to be used for good or evil. Thus some have chosen to not even have one in their homes and I can definitely see the wisdom of that decision. As I consider the works of the flesh listed in Galatians 5 (adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like) I realize that all those things are promoted as good by many TV programs. By getting rid of the TV, you are able to get rid of a source of such influences. Further, it is so easy to waste a lot of time in front of the set. - But what about the people who discipline themselves to not use the TV as a time waster and are careful not to watch filthy content? I do believe it is possible for a mature Christian to do that; however, for others it may be best to get rid of the source of temptation. - For those who do decide to get rid of the TV, let me encourage you to do so, but let me also give a very important warning. Just because you have gotten rid of a powerful source of temptation, do not think that you no longer have to worry about adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like in your life. Paul wrote about these things in his letter to Galatians and that letter was written thousands of years ago- long before TV was even an issue. - The point that I am making is that as Christians we have a lot of liberty, but we should not use that liberty as an excuse to sin (Galatians 5:13). The liberty to watch TV can become liberty to sin if we end up watching shows that lead us to sin (Matthew 5:28- But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.) We also have the liberty to get rid of the TV, but if we use the excuse that we are “godly” because we do not have a TV, yet continue to sin, then we have used that liberty as an excuse for our ungodly sinfulness. - As Christians, we should have high standards for our conduct, but let us never make a manmade rule or point of conduct into an excuse to violate the clear expectations God has set out for us in His word. Regardless of how set apart we are in some of these areas of liberty, let us make sure we are truly set apart from sin and unto God.