•2:00 PM
Garbage In, Garbage Out
By: Bro. Tom Smith, Wooddale Church of Christ
Be aware what you see and hear.
There is a familiar saying in the computer world, "garbage in, garbage out". How perfectly that saying can be used in regard to the things we see and hear each day.
Let me ask you a question.
Would you take a steak, rub it all over the floor, and than eat it?
Or how about taking a glass that has been in the garage or basement for a year, and filling it up with water and drinking it?
Or what about picking a tomato out of a garden and eating it without washing the dirt off of it?
I am sure by now you have to be thinking I must be losing it, that I really can't be serious.
The fact is, we would never think about doing these things, eating and drinking things that are dirty and not clean. Yet, consciously or subconsciously we do that every single day by what we allow ourselves to see and hear.
Over the years, sin has crept into every element of life and that is a reality we must not only deal with but never lose sight of. While we can never be totally immune from the sin that infects this world, we can take measures to minimize our exposure to it. We can be diligent to guard ourselves from it. We must always be careful about letting sin into our life.
Today's Devotional is a warning that should not be taken lightly. It is a call to stop, and pay attention. How we think, how we act, are manifestations of what we are exposed to in this life. What we see and what we hear go into our "computers" (brain) and become elements in our thought process, and ultimately in our actions.
If you think for a second that what you listen to, and what you watch does not have a bearing in how you think and act, you are sadly mistaken.
The Bible talks about the renewing of our mind.
This is literally talking about reprogramming our "computer". Deleting all of the garbage and useless information we have stored up, and replacing it with Godly, inspirational content.
Just like the saying "garbage in, garbage out" is true, so is "God in, God out".
Be aware of what things you allow yourself to hear and see. Understand the harmful affect so much of the world can have on your life if you allow it in.
I am not saying don't go to the movies again, or ever watch TV, or never read a non-Christian book or magazine, or only listen to Christian music. What I am saying is think before you listen to a CD, think before you start reading a book, think before you watch a TV program, think before you go to a movie. Simply ask yourself if this is content you want to input into your "computer", and what purpose it will serve.
Be careful, because the enemy is the great justifier.
John 8:44 says he is a liar, the father of lies. He will tell you that it is OK, that it is just entertainment, it is just harmless fun.
Remember, what you allow yourself to hear and see WILL be part of you.
Just like you are careful about what you eat and drink, be equally as concerned about what you see and hear!
