You should never go digging in the trash – Psalm 101:3

Sept. 24, 2011 Psalm 101:3a (NLT) I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar.

I like to share my notes and thoughts from sermons that really speak to me. Tonight I listened to a sermon by Pastor Joel Osteen about how important it is to guard our minds. I’ve previously written on this topic because changing what I put in my mind has transformed me and it has taken me to a deeper level in my spiritual walk. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means perfect, but I know that my choices impact my mind. How many of us have a relationship with God – yet we still live with filth coming from our mouth, heart and eyes?

Television, movies, radio, the internet, video and all forms of popular media have the power to influence our mind and behavior. When we sit in front of the television for hours watching violence, it’s no surprise that we become violent people. There’s a generation of young people who have grown up with video games that promote violence in one way or another. It’s easy to see why the population of juvenile offenders grows bigger.

We are living in a period with an unprecedented lack of values and it’s easy to fall into the mold of going along with it. Do we really need to watch someone else’s business on reality TV shows? No. Do we really want to watch immoral and unhealthy behavior in movies or read about it in magazines? No. Many of us have become immune or worse, desensitized to the filth we’re subjected to 24 hours, 7 days a week. I’m also blown away by rants posted on social media. I’ve started filtering the posts in my timelines because I don’t really need to know how people really feel. Talk to your friends, a trusted counselor or those who care about you – the rest of us don’t need to know about your personal habits, politics, etc.  If you don’t have something positive and uplifting to say, don’t say it for all to see or hear.

Stop it. Stop the madness. Don’t watch mindless or questionable TV, read or engage in the immoral practices of popular culture. Make wise choices knowing that what you put in your mind influences your behavior and that of your family and generations. Make hard choices. Keep yourself and your children from being contaminated. Stand up for what’s right. Don’t laugh at off-colored jokes or make them yourself. It’s time for us to not be embarrassed to turn off the TV, prohibit the music, turn off the internet  or throw away the magazines.

God made you for a special purpose – you are special, you are unique and you are worthwhile. You are God’s child, made in His image. You should never go digging in the trash. You deserve the best.

Respect yourself.