Garbage In, Garbage Putting up its Feet and Turning on the TV

Last updated on: November 16, 2012 at 2:21 pm by Susan Cottrell

Garbage In, Garbage Putting up its Feet and Turning on the TV 2012-11-16T14:21:35-05:00 Susan Cottrell

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Lately, I’ve been taking stock of my eating habits. I’ve always tried to eat somewhat well to maintain health. But lately it’s been more than just eating enough spinach and beets. I’m slowly realizing that even “benign” foods like too much wheat and cheese are settling in and causing me trouble. (Am I going to start talking about stiff joints? Absolutely not.) While never an all-out junk food junkie, I have been quite casual over the years about putting junk in without a thought of getting it out again. (I am not talking about weight but about a smooth-running machine.) How do I think garbage in will have no consequences… much less produce life and health? Getting the toxins out again is much harder than not eating them in the first place. (Just because it’s there does not mean I need to eat it.)

This brings me to my thought life. I realize I can be quite casual about my thoughts as well. Thoughts about another person come in and I let them stay. (“She’s a pain in the neck, isn’t she? I hope she’s not in my small group.”) Thoughts about me come in and I entertain them. (“I can’t believe I forgot that appointment. I’m such an idiot.”) My brain is every bit as precious as my body. Thoughts have an enormous impact on our well being, peace, joy, and from our thoughts spring our actions. Thoughts have consequences. We want to guard our hearts–not from the evil that will come out, but for the evil that goes in.

If an enemy came in laden with poisons for me to eat, I would shove him out the door. But when they come in the form of brownies or chocolate pie, they’re harder to resist. If an enemy puts negative thoughts in my head, I would want to shove those out as well. But when they come disguised my own thoughts, they are much harder to recognize.

I do have an enemy putting thoughts in my head. He is out to destroy me, and I need to shove him out. As quickly as I delete my irrelevant email, I must reject deadly thoughts–and replace those thoughts with thoughts from the wellspring of life. Ah! Now, that’s refreshing!

“The water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23

garbage in garbage out

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