Creator, Father, King #303

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

THE HUMAN MIND IS truly an amazing thing.

Consider some of the marvels that the human mind has produced: the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Wall of China, Macbeth, Mona Lisa, Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony,” modern vaccines, putting a man on the moon, War and Peace, The Great Gatsby, Citizen Kane, light bulbs, automobiles, telephones, computers, the Internet . . .

And yard gnomes—we can’t forget yard gnomes.

But the human mind can also harbor wicked, ungodly thoughts. As today’s verse says, we are to fix our minds instead on godly thoughts that are “worthy of praise.”

What’s It Mean?

It’s so important to protect your mind. Since your mind is a central part of your body, you must be careful not to willfully allow anything impure to enter it because “your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

When it comes to our minds, the concept is simple: whatever you put in is what you’ll get in return. If you input filth, it will corrupt your mind, heart, and faith. However, if you input God’s Word, it will bear righteous, spiritual fruit.

So what are you putting into your mind when it comes to the following?

• movies
• TV shows
• books
• music
• Internet content

Pornography deserves special mention because it is so pervasive, addictive, and spiritually destructive. Pornography is the antithesis of today’s verse: it is dishonorable, impure, ugly, and shameful because it degrades what is good (God’s gift of sex within marriage) into a “lustful passion” (1 Thessalonians 4:4-5). We are to “put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires” (Colossians 3:5).

Don’t believe Satan’s lies about your thought life:

• I’m mature enough to view this.
• I’ll turn off this movie/show if it gets too raunchy.
• My friends are doing it. I don’t want to be the odd one out.
• One little look won’t hurt.

This is a slippery slope leading down a path of spiritual harm. Instead, God calls his chosen people to choose mental purity. Fill your mind with godly thoughts. Memorize Scripture. Think about how you can honor the Lord and serve others. Then you will please your heavenly Father!

(Even if you don’t have a yard gnome.)

Now What?

Besides today’s verse, meditate on Colossians 3:2-4.

Did You Know?

God knows our every thought (Psalm 139:2).