Pure thoughts are hard sometimes

Food For Thought #69

Hey guys, I just want to start off by saying I will probably come on pretty strong in this post, so if you don't feel like an impassioned speech right now, I would just save this for latter. But if you want to stick around, I would really love you too, because this is something I am very passionate about and I feel like more people need to be as well. 

This is a problem I have with myself, so please don't think I'm pointing a finger at you, this is something I've seen failing in myself and honestly, it disgusts me. 

Today I really looked at myself and realized how much I'm not living what I belive. I'm telling myself and others that I belive that I shouldn't read any books with heavy magic, or with too heavy of romance. I say that I shouldn't watch movie that have any blush worthy scenes, or standards that go against my own. I say that songs should build me up in my faith, and make me think clean thoughts. But you know what, it is so easy for me to say 'this one won't hurt me.' I convince myself that just this one won't affect me, or that one won't hurt. I convince myself that I won't let it affect me, or that one bad part really matter in the long run. 

But its a lie. I complete lie. I don't care if its just one photo, scene, song, or chapter that made your thoughts turn from a good path, it matters. It matters a lot. More then you will probably ever know. 

Because, even if its just small things, they come together to make big things, Things that affect your life. Compromises on what you belive never end in good. God meant us to follow His lead down to the tiniest portions of our lives. That sometimes means giving up things we love because they are keeping us from him. 

For me it meant giving up one of my favorite TV shows, because I realized that the content was making me think of things I shouldn't. It meant giving up some music that I actually liked, and some books that were enjoyable. Did I like doing that? No. I didn't. I pretty much gave them up kicking and screaming mentally, because I had let myself get attached to a cheap form of entertainment. God has something better for us if we'd only give up these fake substitutes. And I know how hard the struggle is, but I think if we actually responded to God's prompting and gave up these things, we would find that we have a deeper relationship with God. 

Because he wants what is best for us, not just what is entertaining. 

I think this passage sums up what we as Christians need to be thinking about as we go through our day. 

Philippians 4:8-9

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.