Clean Content, Clean Conscience (a guest post)

Hey everyone! Today we have a guest post from Willow at The Faithful Wanderer. I'm so excited to share this with you all! And thank you, Willow, for doing this! <3

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Do you ever have a hard time finding clean, reliable content to read? Maybe you feel as if there's no hope for YA books, not with romance and profanity going way too far and with unexpected—and unwanted—surprises around every chapter. How can we read books safely without worrying that we'll be shocked at the content on the next page?

I often find myself warily scanning the pages. There's a romance scene coming up—will it get too inappropriate? Or is it safe? And to be honest, that's not how I want to be reading books. I don't want to be scared of what could happen, I want to enjoy my book and cup of tea, right?

In all honesty, I had first tried to force myself though this content with the mindset of "I'm a big girl, I can handle it!" But the truth it, it's not whether I'm mature enough. It's about my conscience and what the Bible says. Check out what Matthew 15 says: "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immortality, theft, false testimony, slander." (Matthew 15: 17-19 NIV)

What we put into our minds will come out of us, and that not only impacts ourselves, but the people around us. So if we are reading inappropriate, vulgar books? It will soon become a part of our everyday lives by slipping into our speech, thoughts, and even images of other people.

How do we set clear boundaries for ourselves and the content we read?

1. Trust your gut when something gives you 'the ick', even if it's a small ick. Don't push yourself and say, "It's probably fine." If you are getting a bad vibe and your conscience says "This isn't the smartest," then listen to it—that's what it's there for!

   
   

2. Ask for recommendations from reliable friends with the Content Warnings. People who have read the book can easily let you know, "It has some romance and war, but it's all clean," or "I would recommend it, but there is a scene with ____."

3. Look at book lists made by reputable people. These are very easy to find and reliable. For example, Sarah Mackenzie's lists for young adults, teens, and adults are quite helpful!

4. And finally—this is the most important one—set boundaries for yourself. Take time to think about what you are comfortable with reading and what you think you should be reading. Am I okay morally with reading explicit profanity? Would this content impact me negatively? This part is definitely something you can take time to think and pray about.

I hope this was helpful—now go enjoy your book and a cup of tea! Thanks for letting me hop on and write for your blog, Maya!

~Willow

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ABOUT WILLOW:

Willow Hoffer is a junior in high school who spends her days writing, living in her pjs, drinking chai tea, and searching for a new book to read. She hopes to find her calling in the mission field and share the love of God through her writing. Willow and her family have settled down in North Carolina where she has continued her writing journey. You can find her at her website and blog faithfulwanderer8.wordpress.com.