The Filling of Our Christians Minds

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

True

Honest

Pure

Lovely

Of Good Report

These are the character traits of the things that should be filling our Christian minds. Today it is becoming increasingly difficult to just fill our minds with these things. A typical day for us on this quest to fill our minds with only good things is fraught with land mines that seem to hide subtly every where and then there are the constant, blatant attacks from satan to thwart the mind of the Christian. I have to ask myself all the time...what am I filling my mind with?

We don't have cable t.v. and I rarely turn the thing on, but last night I wasn't feeling too great and needed a reprieve from everyday life and felt "the need" to turn the dumb thing on. It being Saturday night, my choices were few. I had the choice of sex, violence, inuendos, sarcasm, off-humor, the blasting of a biblical home and oh, the solving of someone's true-life, horrible murder. Mind you, some of this stuff might be true, but it sure ain't lovely. Even the news, does God want us to be constantly fill our minds with death, peril, destruction and murder? I gave up and went to bed, my time probably better suited in prayer to begin with.

I know we can all get on our soap box about what is appropriate for the Christian to focus upon in there life. I just want to take a step back and examine. What is God pleased with?...even things that seem harmless and even good in our minds.

For example, I've gotten lost in some music that I've been interested in lately. It is not Christian music neither is it necessarily wrong, but I have found that lately, if I had the choice, I would choose it over Christian music. I feel it somewhat draws my heart from the Lord by filling it with all things but God. When I prefer to fill up on the world's "good" things instead of God's, I walk away feeling quite empty after it is all said and done.

In a world of mass media of all shapes and sizes, we must be careful to guard our hearts and minds. The Lord has given us a precious priviledge and responsibility as Christians to be a shining light in a such a dark place. Let's not dim the light we put forth by filling our time, our minds, our life with all the unlovely and seemingly lovely things that the world has to offer.