We consume more media today than at any point in human history. A significant portion of that media is devoted to news and current events. Plenty has been written about the bias and political opinions inherent in the news media, and those are important concerns. But followers of Jesus have a much deeper issue to address.
The news we consume does far more than inform us—it forms us.
When comparing the time the average Christian spends reading Scripture and in worship services to the time spent consuming media, we are discipled far more by news media than we realize.
Every headline we read, every breaking news alert we check and every video we watch is helping to shape what we think about, what we worry about, what we talk about and even what we believe is most important.
Not long ago, engaging the news meant sitting down with a newspaper in the morning or catching the 5 o’clock news on television. Today, the news follows us everywhere, filling the quiet spaces of our day—while we stand in line, sit in traffic or scroll lying in bed. We absorb world events in real time, constantly and relentlessly.
This unending intake has consequences. Many people now carry a persistent anxiety about pandemics, politics, wars and world events. An increase in news consumption has given us greater awareness, but it has come with a cost—a heightened sense of fear, anger and emotional exhaustion.
Christians are not commanded to ignore the world around us. But we are called to engage it differently. The question is not whether we should pay attention to the news, but how to do so in a Christ-honoring manner.
How do we stay aware of what is happening in the world without being shaped by anxiety, fear, contempt, despair or outrage?
How do we read headlines with the heart of Jesus?
If our goal is to be formed into the image of Jesus, then even our media habits must align with the teaching of Jesus. Let’s consider how principles from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which pressed beyond outward behavior to deeper issues of the heart, can inform the way we consume news.
Begin with humility
“Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matt. 5:3a).
Not blessed are the proud, convinced, correct or confident, but blessed are the poor in spirit. Jesus’ followers are marked not by superiority but by humility.
This is not the posture news consumption encourages. The media are dominated by quick judgments and strong opinions. As a viewer, feeling more informed—or more right—than others can bring a subtle sense of satisfaction. This leads to a posture of self-righteousness, where we view the world as dangerous, filled with problems caused by the people who disagree with us.
Jesus calls us to approach the world differently. If our engagement with the news leads us to judgment rather than prayer, we must examine the posture of our hearts. Are we approaching what we see and read with humility and a sense of dependence on God?
Hunger for righteousness, not just reaction
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matt. 5:6a).
While the news can awaken a genuine concern for justice by exposing suffering, corruption and brokenness in the world, we would do well to avoid confusing awareness with obedience.
Let’s consider whether our awareness leads to righteous action, moving us toward prayer, generosity, advocacy or service.
Being informed is not the same as being faithful.
Choose mercy over judgment
“Blessed are the merciful” (Matt. 5:7a).
News stories often simplify complex realities: People become either heroes or villains, right or wrong, us or them. This can train our hearts to quickly define people into simple, ungenerous categories. Left unchecked, we may stray from compassion, being secretly satisfied when those we disagree with fail. We must resist the urge to celebrate downfall more than we grieve brokenness.
The way we respond to the failures of others—especially those we oppose—reveals far more about our spiritual formation than we might like to admit. For followers of Jesus, this is a critical issue. Is our news consumption causing us to be people marked by anger and judgment rather than by compassion and mercy?
Mercy does not ignore truth or excuse wrongdoing. But it refuses to dehumanize. It remembers that every person in every headline bears the image of God. We are called to mercy, not outrage.
Guard the focus of your heart
“Blessed are the pure in heart” (Matt. 5:8a).
Purity of heart requires undivided devotion and intentionality. Before we sit down with the newspaper or scroll online, let’s ask not just what we are consuming, but also how and why.
News consumption becomes compulsive when we check updates constantly, drawn by a mix of curiosity, fear and the desire to stay up to date. We may tell ourselves we are simply staying informed when in reality we are feeding a destructive appetite for crisis and conflict, pulling our focus away from Christ.
This raises an important question about our media habits: What is capturing not only our attention but also our affection?
Editors determine what becomes a headline. This shapes what we perceive as urgent. Without realizing it, our sense of priority can be formed more by news cycles than by the heart of God.
As a result, our constant intake of news can cause us to orient our emotional lives around headlines rather than centering on God’s presence. We take sides in conflicts we have no part in, becoming invested in outcomes that increase our anxiety, but rarely lead us to faithful action.
If our news consumption is drawing our heart’s allegiance toward anything other than the kingdom of God, this should cause grave concern.
Be a peacemaker, not an opinion sharer
“Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matt. 5:9a).
In the media, conflict often gets amplified. Strong opinions, hot takes and emotionally charged content travel fast. It is easy to become a participant in this cycle, sharing and reacting without reflection. Do our conversations bring clarity, or do they foster division? Let’s commit to thoughtful engagement, rather than simply echoing the loudest voices.
Jesus calls his followers to be peacemakers, which does not mean avoiding hard truths or pretending conflict does not exist. It means engaging in ways that seek understanding, reduce hostility and promote what is good.
Peacemaking often begins with restraint—choosing not to react immediately, not to share impulsively and refusing to assume the worst about others.
In a culture that values strong reactions to comment, critique and share, we must remind ourselves that pursuing righteousness is far more important than sharing our opinions or proving ourselves right.
Resist the pull of anger and contempt
“Anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment” (Matt. 5:22a).
Much of today’s news media is built on outrage. It thrives by keeping us angry and stirred up. This can reshape how we see entire groups of people. We begin to view others not as neighbors but as threats or enemies.
Anger may sometimes be a proper response to injustice. But a steady diet of outrage will deform our souls. It has become commonplace to use name-calling to belittle others and to frame those we disagree with as our enemies. This is profoundly at odds with the way of Jesus.
We must pay attention to what our news habits are doing to our spiritual lives. Are we becoming quicker to anger? More suspicious? Less charitable?
Commit to truthfulness
“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’” (Matt. 5:37a NKJV).
In an age of misinformation, half-truths and opinion masquerading as fact, Christians are called to be people of integrity in how we handle information.
We must resist the urge to share stories simply because they confirm our views. Let’s read beyond headlines, verify sources, be slower to speak and admit when we are wrong.
Truthfulness is not just an intellectual discipline; it is a spiritual one.
Blindly repeating what we read and hear often leads to furthering misinformation.
Love your neighbor—even in the headlines
“But I tell you, love your enemies” (Matt. 5:44a).
The news often reinforces divisions and gives us permission to withhold love from those we disagree with, subtly teaching us to define others by their positions rather than as people created in the image of God.
But Jesus calls us to hold our convictions with grace, patience and a refusal to dehumanize.
Even when we encounter people through a screen, even when we strongly disagree, the call of Jesus remains. We have a responsibility to love our neighbors—and our enemies.
Do not be consumed by worry
“Do not worry about your life” (Matt. 6:25a).
In a world of constant breaking news, it can seem like everything is urgent, and we are constantly at risk. Jesus, however, invites us into a different way of living—one grounded in faith, refusing to worry. So, if our news consumption increases anxiety, we would be wise to pause. Do we feel informed or overwhelmed? Are we seeking understanding or chasing the next headline?
Setting limits on when and how we engage the news is not avoidance; it is wisdom. It creates space to remember that God, not the news cycle, is ultimately in control.
Examine your own heart
“First take the plank out of your own eye” (Matt. 7:5).
Do you find that news consumption encourages a habit of diagnosing what is wrong with everyone else? We become experts at noticing corruption, failure and hypocrisy—everywhere but in ourselves.
But discipleship requires self-examination. Are we becoming more patient, hopeful and loving? Or are we becoming more cynical, reactive and hardened? The measure of faithful engagement is not how much we know but who we are becoming.
Build on the Rock
The flow of headlines will not slow down. Crises, conflicts and controversies will continue. Will we be shaped by outrage, anxiety and fear? Or will we be grounded in the steady, life-giving teachings of Jesus?
As followers of Christ, we are not called to engage the news as addicts, partisans or passive spectators. Disciples of Jesus are called to a different way—humble in spirit, merciful in judgment, truthful in speech, hungry for righteousness, free of worry and anchored in the presence of God.
In a world of constant information, more than knowing what is happening, let’s consider whether our news consumption is making us more like Christ.
Aaron Box began serving as the USMB national director in July 2024. Previously, Box served for 13 years as senior pastor of North Park Community Church in Eugene, Oregon. He has more than 20 years of ministry leadership experience and served on the USMB Leadership Board from 2014-2022. Box and his wife, Jennifer, have two children and reside in Eugene.
