But are they really GOOD?

Okay, I know that many people, including Christians have been talking about and weighing in on the new ABC television series, called “GCB” (which on national television could only be represented as “Good Christian Belles,” because its original name was derived from the book by Kim Gatlin as “Good Christian Bit….”  

In a nutshell, the series appears that they are making a mockery of the church…but are they really? Think about it, the world wrote this based on their eye view of the church. So let’s dig a little deeper. The show starts off with a middle-aged woman – Amanda Vaughn (depicted as “the sinner”) who is a mother and a widow who has just lost her husband in a tragic car accident with his mistress. So with that being said, she loses everything because of his bad business deals and has to move back home to Dallas, Texas to stay with her Christian mom with her two teenage children until she can get back on her feet. But when she arrives, she is in for a “rude” awakening by church folk…unfortunately.

Sadly, GCB appears to be illustrating Christian living from the perspective of hypocrisy. Again, Amanda is the welcomed back home sinner (who appears to be trying to change her life around for the better), yet her mom, old girlfriends from high school, and old male classmates who all go to the same church, see it as an opportunity of rekindling, payback, and for the men – a sexual advantage. Through the fictitious characters, it also highlights sins like unforgiveness, gossip, slander, jealousy, envy, adultery, living on the down-low (married man with another man-homosexuality) and more! The show tends to focus on the personal lives of all of these individuals who attend church together, yet who are living one way in the church house and another way when they walk outside and behind closed doors…literally.  

View Trailer (viewer discretion is advised) and then continue reading below...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6TvQeOWOl0

Now…my concern is that if this is how the world sees the church…then “Houston, we have a problem.” Some of the shockers witnessed in the show were when the sinner says to the Christians: “Mom, I don’t drink anymore…I’m done with that,” “Mom, why are you dressing my daughter like that? Go and cover those things up (she tells her daughter concerning her breasts and the hot clothes her grandmother just bought for her to wear to school),” “Please forgive me for the way I treated you in high school (she tells this to her old, yet now Christian Belle friends- who hate her and are spreading gossip and slandering her around town so she can’t get a decent job),” and “No! Why would you want to do this to your wife?” - (meaning commit adultery - as one of her old male Christian classmates coerces her to have sex with him in his office)?” Hmm…how can she get saved around all of this confusion? In this early illustration, it appears that the sinner knows better than the Christians.       

Get ready, because this also may shock you…if you look at this series closer, in reality, it is shedding light on things that are actually hidden, yet happening in some churches across America today. Point of fact, in the news more and more church scandals are arising surrounding homosexuality, adultery, fighting, leaders on drugs, agreement with abortion, and the list is getting longer. Unfortunately, Hollywood is only pulling from what they are seeing on national television and hearing and seeing in their own church communities. And they’re thriving off this hypocritical viewpoint as we can see…

Undoubtedly, this show has received much criticism and is truly scandalous and is a mess I grant you that, BUT…it can also serve as a heart check for the church. Now I know some might say, “So what’s wrong with that? They’re human. They make mistakes. It's just a show! Don’t judge!” To that, I say “Wake up and smell the coffee, because the world is brewing a fresh hot one on us.” The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 5:11-13, “…you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer, yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people, don’t even eat with such people. It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your job to judge those inside the church who are sinning in these ways. God will judge those on the outside…” Also, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts” (Prov. 18:8) and “Do not go about spreading slander among your people…I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:16).

You see, God requires change from all of us. And although He loves everyone, He despises sin…especially in the church. The Word says that judgment will start in the house of the Lord (1 Peter 4:17). So even though we might be appalled that something like this is airing on national television, we still must realize that it has been allowed for such a time as this for the church to wake up and do a self-examination. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” So you see, God wants us to show love, be forgiving, be peacemakers, practice self-control, and be holy because He is holy; not be fighters, gossips, envious, slanderers, adulterers, unforgiving, or caught up in the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, or the pride of life. Grant you, I admit, this Christian walk is far from easy, but with the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, confession and repentance of our sins, I believe that we can overcome and be strengthened through Christ. Amen?! 

Listen, as far as “GCB” goes, it is not a good show and I don’t recommend it. And furthermore, I encourage you as a sister in Christ to stand strong and resist the temptation to watch it, because 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.” And this message is for all of us. Hypocrisy hurts people, and the devil knows this. So if you take anything away from this post, remember this…Jesus is coming back soon and God is calling us as true Christians to greater accountability and to be greater lights in our communities, at work, school, home, and even in our churches (Matthew 5:16). God bless you and I pray that you’ll enlighten someone else today by commenting and sharing this blog post on “GCB.”

Love,

~ Courtnaye

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