Tips on Tuesday: Sister What?

I had planned a follow up to the Marriage Tips from last week. Instead, I've prayerfully chosen to preempt myself to next week. Instead, I feel the compelling need to blog about the new show on TLC called "Sister Wives." Ironically, it's another view of marriage.

I will be the first to admit that I did tape and watch the series premiere that aired on Sunday night. I watched it when all my children were gone from my home because I wanted to see what this show was really all about. There's been a lot of hype and a lot of negativity about the show that stirred controversy before the episode ran.

Here's what I saw. I saw three women (yes, this season he's looking to add wife #4) and their children who are happy and well-adjusted. I saw them struggle against natural feelings like jealousy, betrayal and at times, a sense of self and self-worth. I really didn't want to like the women. I wanted them to be so repulsive that I'd not like a thing about them. What I saw were women who look like, talk like and seem like my own friends....and that made me very, very sad.

I meditated on this show throughout the day until the spiritual truth I was looking for hit me. The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:8, "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (NIV)  I also read the Amplified which says, "Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour." Finally, I checked the ever popular Message version which says, "Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up."

That's my conclusion about this show. These women, their husband and their church are all being consumed by the enemy, the devil. He has stolen from them the gift of monogamy. The enemy and their families and fellow church goers are all succumbing to the lion devouring the sanctity of marriage. And the worst part of all of it is that we, the American public, are allowing it to happen and letting this into our homes.

It reminds me of the book "1984". If you've never read it, I urge you to read it now and think about where reality TV has taken us. In the book, with Big Brother watching, nothing was private or sacred anymore. Everyone's private lives were public. Big Brother was able to desensitize society by using images to rewire their thoughts and essentially use mind control. Then I look at a show like Sister Wives (or Wife Swap or Temptation Island or The Mole, etc.) and see how desensitized the public is and will become to this behavior. Watching it weekly makes it somehow 'ok' behavior, even if we know it's wrong.

Check out the following quote from one of the producers:

“They are very much a modern family. They are open-minded. They are generally adorable,” said Bill Hayes, president of North Carolina-based Figure 8 Films and co-executive producer of the show. “Their children were so well behaved and polite and healthy and happy,” he added. “Pardon the cliche, but the proof was in the pudding. I thought, ‘What a bunch of great young people, and there was nothing strange about them.’"

I disagree with Bill. There is definitely something strange about them. It's not in their clothes or speech or friendships, it's in the polygamy. I urge all of you to pray for the Brown family. Kody (the husband) and his wives Meri, Janelle and Christine. Pray for the potential next wife, Robyn. Pray for the 13 children in the Brown home already and the possible 3 coming with Robyn. If there's ever been a group of people needing prayer, it's all of these Fundamental Mormans.

Please pray that the light of Christ would shine wisdom and discernment into their hearts and home. Pray that they would come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and that they would find not condemnation in Christ, but find the truth. Pray that the devil would stop his prowl around them and that they would break free of the grip that satan has on their home and their lives.

I can't say that I will watch the show again as it broke my heart. I grieve for these women who are so misguided in their faith. I am praying without ceasing for them and I truly hope they all can break free of that bondage to sin.

I'm reminded of the story where a mom wants to prove a point to her child. She bakes him a special cake and shows him how she does it with her 'secret ingredient'. She adds the flour, eggs, sugar, cocoa and a little bit of dog poop. She tells him you'll never taste it. When he says it ruins the whole cake, she reminds him that it's the same as his sinful behavior. I know the Brown family would disagree with me, but it's the dog poop of polygamy that ruins the show for me.