I’m at Wegmans. I am eating a 6 dollar fruit salad.
I don’t know why I felt the need to tell you that, except for the fact that I have NO idea how to start this entry. Which is funny for me, because usually it’s not this hard.
I’m not sure how to start because I don’t want my words to be misinterpreted. I don’t want you to read this and think that I’m judging you. Because I’m not.
I’ve been fighting writing this for a while, but right now it feels like I won’t have rest until I say it.
I read this quote the other day and it really helped bring clarity for me, giving me the confidence to write this post.
“God tells us to make a sanctuary of our thoughts in which He can dwell.”
~AW Tozer
That’s what I’ve been doing. I’m trying to make a sanctuary of my thoughts. Instead of filling my mind with: hours of TV, songs with disgusting messages, and that hamster-wheel of worry... I’m trying to fill my mind with peace, joy, and all things that glorify God.
It’s a constant struggle. Stand up, take a few steps, fall over. Repeat. I praised God in this moment, then complained in the next. I’m not trying to be perfect, but I’m trying to be better than I was yesterday, or even a few minutes ago.
One day last year, I just decided that I’d stop listening to “worldly music.” I didn’t tell anyone. I just quit. And now, I feel like it is one of the best decisions I ever made.
Now, after “fasting” for so long, I can see what it was doing to me. I can see the toll it took on my mind.
There are songs that are so blatantly against the things of God- and I don’t think that people of God should be listening to them.
That’s just my opinion.
Philippians 4:8 pretty much says it all: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. 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.”
It’s not just my opinion now. Now it’s God’s Word, commanding that you and I think on things that are worthy of praise. I’m sorry (not sorry) to be the one to tell you that God requires more from you if you are to bear His name.
We need to bring glory to God by the way we live our lives.
This includes the music that we listen to.
I’m not saying that you have to be like me.
I’m not even saying you have to cut it out entirely.
All I’m trying to say is: Are you making your thoughts a sanctuary? a place where God can dwell?
So true. Most of our battles begin with a thought and once we feed that thought, watch out. It's always good to be reminded that we need to guard our thoughts. Some things can't be helped but most things we do have control over. It takes discipline and most times we want the easy way out, just go along with everybody else. Well you put it out there and now the rest is up to God. Love you sweetie,
ReplyDeleteMom
Thanks Mom! We tend to forget so often the importance of guarding our hearts AND minds. How true, that we try to take the easy way, just going along with everyone else... We need to get to a place where we no longer see it as easy/hard- but as right/wrong.
DeleteA homerun encouragement for sure!... What does holiness really look like?
ReplyDeleteExcellent! What we put in is what we'll put out. We often wonder why people do the things they do. It's not the object, such as let's just say tv, tv isn't bad it's the stuff that was thought up in someone's mind tha wrote "junk" that's the bad.
ReplyDelete"It only takes a spark to get a fire going." That's all it takes of a "bad" seed in our mind to lead to...
Aunt Susie
Yes! We have to be careful what we listen to, watch, say, etc. It has an effect on us for sure!
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