Guard Your Mind
Proverbs 23:7
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
When I was just a kid, I would read every copy of Outdoor Life that I could get my hands on. Around the first of the month, I would check our mail for the next issue of Fur-Fish-Game. Every other month a coonhound magazine called Full Cry would arrive with hunting stories and pictures of hounds, a boy could only dream about.
When I became a young man there were guys like Roger Raglin, Will Primos, and Knight & Hale who produced videos full of hunting action that filled my head with visions of big antlers and outdoor adventures.
Whether it was hunting bear, moose, elk, and deer or hunting squirrel, rabbit, coon and turkey, these magazines and movies filled me with ideas and dreams that turned into some great hunting adventures.
Today as I look at the antlers, hides, fans and photos covering my walls, I'm reminded of all those early influencers in my life. Little did I know that those dreams from long ago would change my life even now, decades later.
It was years ago, while attending a business seminar, that I heard Earl Nightingale say, "We become what we think about". In a similar way in Proverbs 4:23 King Solomon said, "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." He tells us to be careful of what we see when we watch a movie. Be careful of what we read when we pick up a magazine. Be careful of every thought and idea we entertain, because what we let into our mind will ultimately affect what we think, what we say, what we do, and how we live.
In our culture, it is considered a virtue to have an open mind, but the Scripture advises just the opposite. We need to practice discernment as we decide which ideas to embrace and which ones to reject, because our thoughts directly affect the course of our lives. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 we read, "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." This means don't let evil or negative thoughts control you but instead align your thinking with God's truth.
Today's prayer: Heavenly Father, I come before You today seeking a clear and clean mind. The world around me is so full of distractions, pollution, and images that clutter my thoughts and weigh me down. Help me to only look and listen to positive ideas and Godly values. Help me to guard my mind. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
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