Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:00 — 4.1MB)
You’ve heard the phrase that our computer age generated: Garbage In, Garbage Out. Well, it’s not only true of computers, it’s also true of our minds.
One important element in creating a right thought life is to carefully guard what you put into your mind. If you put garbage into your mind, your thought life will reflect that input.
What do you read? Trashy novels, trivial magazines, secular newspapers? Do you spend more time reading God’s Word and good Christian material than you do reading the world’s literature, even if it’s not necessarily evil? You will never change your thinking if you’re reading trash, or failing to read the Bible consistently with top priority over all other reading.
What do you look at on your screens? You and I must carefully examine what we take in, particularly what we see because it has a stronger impact on us than even what we read. If you’re pouring visual junk into your mind, then forget about having a good thought life.
What do you listen to? Are you soaking up the world’s music? Much of the lyrics are absolutely evil. Those lyrics get into your mind. What kind of conversations do you listen to? Do you subject yourself to off-color conversations, gossipy conversations, critical conversations? Your thinking won’t change with that kind of input going into your mind.
If you will change the input into your mind, you’ll be amazed how your thinking will change. Of course, an essential is the Word of God, poured into your mind regularly and systematically. Scripture memorization is a fantastic way to program your mind correctly. Good reading has helped me immensely.
I simply can’t over-emphasize the importance of guarding your mind closely. The world we live in is full of garbage, and we’ve become desensitized to it. Remember, garbage in, garbage out.
[Mary has written a book on this topic, Think About What You Think About. And it is on special this month for $8. Click here for more information.]