Guard Your Mind

     There are tons of options today as far as entertainment goes, and one thing I have realized to be very true is that the things you watch and music you listen to have a big influence on you. You may not realize it but it can direct your thoughts, beliefs, and even emotions. I remember as a teenager listening to music that 'reflected' my emotions, songs that talked about suicide, depression, heartbreak, feeling like a loser or outcast, and some that literally blasphemed against God. I watched tons of crime and murder shows then too, and plenty of stuff about witchcraft, or shows that glorified those practices.
       As a result of what I was putting into my brain, I was often angry, scared, confused about God and faith, and deeply depressed. I spent more time doing, watching, and listening to what was popular in the world then spending time with God and His word. I watched so many programs about break ins, rapes, theft and stalking that I was always afraid, especially if I happened to be alone. I didn't trust anyone I didn't know and even found myself being suspicious of people I did know. My preferred music wasn't exactly uplifting and while I thought then it reflected how I felt, I realized years later after I found one of my old CDs again that it was actually feeding those feelings.
    Over time, after I finally made a heartfelt commitment to God  I started to weed away those things in my life, I stopped watching shows like 'Charmed' and started watching more wholesome shows again, like 'Little House on the Prairie.' I quit watching shows about crimes, and started watching comedies with my husband instead. These were some of the first changes, and I didn't at first notice the difference, until I tried to go back and watch those things again by myself two years later. I felt upset, and uncomfortable in my heart watching 'Charmed,' because even though I know it's a TV show created to entertain, I knew what it was promoting was displeasing to my Father. I tried to watch crime shows again, and spent the whole night terrified that someone was going to break into my house, until my husband came home and calmed my fears. And that music I listened to, after going through the CD just once I understood why I struggled so much to be happy before, it left me feeling so low that day, even though before that I had given it any attention I had been pretty happy.
      I didn't write this to point fingers or make anyone feel bad about something they may like, I'm not trying to say that you have to watch the shows I do now or listen to my music. I'm not saying that you must only watch and listen to Christian programs.  But I am warning you, be careful what you feed you mind, be careful what you allow to influence you. God has commanded that His children are to stand a part from the ways of this world, we are not to act the way they do or do the things they do, we are to be a reflection of Christ and that means we are to act in holy and righteous ways that please our Father in heaven.                     
   

Proverbs 4:23        
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Colossians 3:1-11       

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.  7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Psalm 1:1-6        
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;