Numbness Is a Signal

I’ve been thinking lately about how certain things don’t impact me the way I feel like they should.

Most notably, I’ve noticed how my heart has grown numb to violence and acts of evil.

The digital world we live in has changed everything. The media we’re exposed to—what we see, how often we see it, and how graphic it is—has shaped us in ways we won’t fully recognize until we step back and admit it.

I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s, and the windows of seeing evil were short-lived. Most of the time, you got a glimpse on the evening news, and even that was delivered differently than it is today. And when I think back to the movies I watched, the contrast to what’s being created now is staggering.

My parents had a standard: no movies above PG-13 in the house. And I distinctly remember when they wanted to watch something rated R, my brother and I simply went outside and played. That meant Ghostbusters and Weekend at Bernie’s were about as “edgy” as it got.

But in the early 2000’s—and especially after the smartphone—things ramped up quickly. Movies became more graphic, more immersive, and more realistic. CGI made violence feel real, and in an instant, war movies and action films began shaping how we processed and accepted brutality.

Saving Private Ryan to John Wick dulled my senses. Over time, violence became entertainment. Then entertainment became normal. And now it’s reached a point where we can watch genuinely gruesome acts against real people—not actors—and many react without the slightest emotion.

That has me thinking: one of the greatest tools the enemy has is normalization.

Hear me out.

If the enemy can normalize evil to the point that men no longer react, then he’s done more than remove resistance—he’s also created permission. Because once you stop flinching, the bar keeps moving. What used to shock you becomes “just another clip.” And what used to be unthinkable becomes shareable.

Less than two decades ago, videos of real violence would have been limited to law enforcement. Now they go viral. And it’s not just adults watching—people of all ages. We’ve become so conditioned that many are more inclined to pull out their phones and record an act of violence than to intervene and help someone in need.

And it makes me wonder…

Paul tells us there are dark forces at work in this world. Have you ever considered that numbness might be one of their most effective goals?

Because numb men don’t intercede.
Numb men don’t protect.
Numb men don’t lead.
Numb men don’t cry.
And numb men eventually stop caring.

That’s why I’ve been reflecting on this: maybe numbness is a warning light.

Maybe numbness is a signal that something has been allowed in too long—something we’ve watched, consumed, laughed at, or ignored until our hearts stopped responding the way God designed them to.

And if numbness is a signal, then it’s also an invitation.

An invitation to wake up.

To guard what we consume.
To pay attention to what’s shaping us.
To ask God to soften what’s been hardened.
To repent where needed.
To reclaim the kind of heart that still feels compassion, still hates evil, still protects what’s good.

Because in a world that profits from outrage, shock, and darkness… a man with a tender heart is dangerous—in the best way.

Numbness is not the goal.
Numbness is the alarm.

And the fact that you can recognize it might be the first step in God restoring what’s been dulled.

Reflection Questions:

• When did you start going numb — and what was happening in that season?
• What have you normalized that you once knew was wrong?

Christian Leadership Assessment

Before you move forward, take a minute to assess where you actually stand as a man, a leader, and a follower of Christ.

Every man ends up in one of three places:
Striving. Isolating. Or Leading with Trust.

Most guys don’t slow down long enough to recognize which one is shaping their decisions, their habits, and their spiritual health.

This 5-question Leadership Assessment will help you identify:

• Where you’re leading in your own strength
• Where you’re avoiding the hard things
• Where God is building real, steady, anchored leadership in you

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness.

Because a man can’t lead his family, his team, or anyone else if he isn’t leading himself well first.

Take the assessment and step into the next level of leadership God is calling you to: https://thelionwithin.us/assessment/just-a-guy/numb/