This is a phrase I know all too well at work. The data you put into the computer software is what determines what you get out of it. If you want to get good information out of it, you have to put good information in it.
Our minds are our personal (computing) system. What goes in the mind will come out. The information that you allow into your mind through seeing and hearing will eventually come out of your mouth.
Sounds simple enough right? However stop and think about all that is around you in your environment. What do you listen to on the radio or iPod? What do you watch on television or at the movie theater? What do you read? What do you search for on the internet? What situations are taking place around you in your daily life? What information are you allowing into your mind?
I have noticed that when I watched television shows that contained things that have "acceptable sin" in the modern world, after a while of watching those shows I would become numb to the truth about that sin, even "compromised" you could say. The more I watched the "acceptable sin" the more I became "familiar" with it and the more comfortable I would become around that sin. For example watching shows where there was out of marriage sex, or homosexuality or even something as simple as lying. The more I watched, the more I was okay with it. I'm not okay with the truth that I am okay with sin.
Let's go even a step further to fantasy and sci-fi. Yes I am going there, hear me out. Vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches, warlocks and so on. Yes it is made to entertain us. However in our venture to be entertained we are allowing information into our minds that doesn't line up with the word of God. While being entertained I found myself defending a vampire named Edward and the Holy Spirit stopped me in my tracks! I was being convicted, even though at the time I didn't know what was going on.
A few months ago a Pastor friend of mine and I were having a conversation about what he and his wife allow to be viewed/listened by everyone in their family. Not just the children, but the adults also. When they are viewing/listening to something they are asked "Does this line up with the word of God and does it glorify God?" If not, it is not being allowed to be played. WOW, right?!?!
I have been meditating on this and the Holy Spirit pointed out to me, remember that feeling I gave you when you watched that vampire movie? Well that movie (and others like it) doesn't glorify God, it is not in line with the word of God. You are allowing garbage in your mind. Can you defend the word of God the way you could that movie? Wow You went there!! Holy Spirit you know how to hurt a girl! No matter how it hurt, the truth needed to be told to me. Who better than the Holy Spirit to tell me, right?!?!
People wonder why I refuse to listen to secular music anymore and the simple answer is that I can't. The music that I loved back in the day was what we refer to as 80's hair metal and heavy metal. Let's just fill the ol' mind up with sex, drugs, alcohol and mayhem. I have to change my mind-set to be in line with the mind and will of God so the secular music had to go for me.
What do you talk about when you see your co-workers on Monday? You talk about everything that you saw, heard and did over the weekend. If you partied like there was no tomorrow, you talk about it. If you watched a movie, you talk about what was viewed. If you listened to a new song, you talk about the lyrics you heard.
Let's touch on the simplistic thing in regards to the people you are around. Do they cuss? Do they speak praises or do they speak negatively? Do they tell cute or dirty jokes? What comes out of their minds via their mouths? Seriously, think about this. I am speaking from experience here.
I work in the construction industry and you can imagine the kind of things I see and hear during a normal work day. There are days that I am not proud of the things that are thought and said by me. I prefer a day with more praise and worship instead of repentance. Even though my plan for the day had Godly intentions, due to environmental factors and my information filter not being what I need it to be, my day can end in me in repentance. Holy Spirit please continue to convict me.
If something is keeping you from God's presence, don't you want to know about it? If I am thinking, hearing, seeing, speaking, doing (etc.) things that aren't pleasing to God, I want to know about them so I can stop doing it. I don't know about you, but my eternal life is more important than watching a stupid movie or show, listening to a secular song or even a dirty joke, etc. (anything) that is not in line with the word of God.
All this to say if you let garbage in, you will get garbage out.
Tapping into God not only works in you but through you. God goes in,
God comes out.
Until next time, God Bless!
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