By Kevin Harris, Pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Dapto, a suburb of Wollongong, NSW
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…
Proverbs 23:7
What are you loading into your brain? Our actions spring from our thoughts. Your life reveals what you are thinking.
Today I have an interesting and edifying message to recommend to you. Evangelist Steve Pigott preaches a sermon entitled ‘Music Paints Pictures.’ You can either see it on Youtube or hear it on Sermon Audio. It would have to be impossible to fall asleep listening to this Bible message.
While the title may lead you to conclude that it’s a message about music, it is more than that.
His point is that you are what you think. Therefore we should only load into our ear gate and eye gate that which is wholesome and helpful to our Christian walk.
The Lord teaches a vital principle for victorious Christianity in the ‘Put off’ and ‘Put on’ passage of Ephesians 4:22-24 ‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.’
If I load into my mind music or movies or books or magazines or websites or social media that glorify infidelity, or greed, or godless talk, those thoughts will stay with me years later.
If I load into my mind music or movies or books or magazines or websites or social media that provoke me to love or good works or more meaningful time with God or God’s wise truths, those thoughts also will stay with me years later.
Whatever I think, I am.
And according to Ephesians 4:22-24 above, there are thoughts we must put off. It’s the word for taking off a garment. And there are thoughts that we must put on. That’s the word for slipping on a garment.
Wise is the follower of the Lord Jesus who perceives when an error, lie or foolish concept is being presented to his mind, and resists it. Wiser still is the believer who intentionally surrounds himself with God-honouring input.
If you go through the day constantly putting godly thoughts in your mind, over time, it will accumulate to create godliness in you.
Father, I say with King David, ‘Let the…meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight…’* Please help me to guard my thoughts. I ask You to reveal to me any entertainment that is not contributing to Your goal to form Christ in me, and help me to put it off. I also need You to help me to surround myself as much as possible with provocations to spiritual healthiness. I ask in the precious Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
* Psalm 19:14
Kevin Harris is pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church, located in Dapto, just south of Wollongong, NSW. To view his website that features music that honours God, visit pastorkevinharrismusic.au.