Many Americans have a toxic relationship with the news.
We pick up our phones first thing in the morning and are immediately inundated with photos from a tragedy across the world. We listen to news commentary during our commute to work and ruminate on the evil/idiocy of people who disagree with us. We scroll social media during our lunch break (or while we’re in a meeting, let’s be honest) and peruse vitriolic comments sections. Then, we turn on cable news in the evening for a steady stream of despair in the background before bed.
No wonder we’re divided, distracted, angry, and anxious.
I wish I could say that believers in the Lord Jesus are exempt from these toxic news patterns, but we swirl in the doom and gloom right alongside our neighbors. For Christians, this angst is particularly troubling because it goes directly against the grain of the unity, purpose, joy, and hope that are ours in the gospel.
Noticing that division and rage and despair aren’t fitting for believers, many feel forced to choose between burying their heads in the sand to skip the angst altogether or diving deeply into every major story to develop a definitive Christian stance. The first choice leaves us ill-equipped to serve our communities, and the second is deeply impractical for pretty much everyone.
There’s a better way to end the toxic relationship with news without giving up on staying informed. Here are some boundaries to consider for a spiritually healthy reset:
1. Consume less news.
(Or if you subscribe to the head-in-the-sand philosophy, consume a limited amount.)
I can think of a few good reasons for Christians to consume some news:
- To respond to a need in your community
- To pray for the Lord’s will around the world
- To know what your neighbors are talking about
Consider your “why” for consuming the news, and then consume just enough to accomplish that goal—no more. Moving beyond the minimum is—at best—a distraction from our mission to love the Lord and others. At worst, news consumption becomes an idolatrous pursuit of omniscience, a wedge between brothers and sisters in Christ, and/or a corner of our lives ruled by fear instead of the peace of Christ.
2. Keep news non-partisan.
Christians’ primary identity is in Christ. We are his people, bought with his blood, raised with him, united with his people, and appointed as his ambassadors in this temporary home.
Partisan news is incompatible with these gospel realities in a few ways:
- Partisan news divides Christians along ideological lines, casting the political “other” as either ignorant or evil. But the gospel has made us into “one body” and called us to peace with God and one another (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:11-22).
- Partisan news seeks to turn us into warriors for a political cause, sacrificing relational capital to win arguments and make advances in cultural causes. The gospel invites us to be ambassadors for Christ, boldly and winsomely prioritizing the mission of his kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Colossians 4:2-6).
- Partisan news stokes rage and anxiety—a sense of hopelessness unless its own side wins political power. The gospel announces that world leaders are in God’s trustworthy hands, and our future with him is secure no matter the political outcome (Proverbs 21:1; Daniel 2:21).
- Partisan news trains us to turn to politicians for answers to life’s biggest problems. The gospel teaches us to approach God persistently as dependent children (Luke 11:1-13). Approaching politicians for help isn’t a bad thing, but our first instinct and constant practice must be to turn to the Lord in prayer.
3. Focus on the eternally significant.
Headlines that seem earth-shaking today will be a foggy memory one year from now. Imagine how distant and small it will seem in 1,000 years! As you engage with the news of the day, remember the brevity of the now and the permanence of Christ’s coming kingdom. Keep the big things big and the small things small. Practically speaking, that means spending more time pursuing the Lord than you spend consuming news media. And the time you do spend in news media—use it to prompt prayer and reflection on weightier things.
What is your first instinct when you come across a troubling headline? If you’re driven to share, post, dive deeper, or send an angry message, that’s a here-and-now, this-world focus. But this world isn’t our home, and it’s passing away. What if believers prayed first, thinking of each person and story in the news in light of God’s bigger story? Presidential election coming up? Pray for our leaders and remember God’s sovereignty (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Natural disaster? Pray for victims and thank God for the new creation that’s coming (Romans 8:18-25).
This focus on the eternal isn’t to say that believers should be disengaged from our communities in the here and now, only that we can’t be so focused on the imminent that we forget the eternal reality that’s ours in Christ.
Ending a toxic relationship means separating from unhealthy patterns and replacing them with healthier alternatives. To recover from a toxic relationship with the news, we have to turn off the firehose so we can get our bearings and consider our purpose before turning the faucet back on. Then, as we drink again from a smaller stream, we have to use discernment. Are we reintroducing partisan toxins that will invite division, distraction, and despair? Even in small doses, toxins can be deadly.
And finally, we need to lift our heads and see where the stream is headed. The headlines that loom so large today are just a tiny drop in the massive ocean that is eternity with Christ. Our first instinct when we’re troubled by the news must be to look up and remember the promises of God, offering our burdens to him and trusting him for future glory.
“So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:1-4 (CSB) (read full passage)
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Steph is a writer for The Pour Over, which helps believers maintain a healthy relationship with the news. She graduated from Moody Bible Institute (B.A. Biblical Languages) and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Master of Divinity) and now lives in Omaha, NE, with her husband and three kids.
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