De-Cluttering the Heart and Mind

What's taking up space in our minds and hearts?

Philippians 4:8 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.

Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

We live in the information age, the microwave age, the technology age – where everything is available to us very quickly, at our fingertips. We are bombarded with words and images on television, in movies, on the computer screen and on all types of printed material. Some of these things are valuable, useful and worthy, but many things are not.

Our minds and hearts need to be protected from the things that do not glorify God, things that produce negative thoughts and reactions and things that tear down relationships.

Focusing our thinking on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy changes everything… what we let into our minds, what we think, say and do.

Everything, good and bad, starts with our thoughts…

Watch your thoughts for they become words,

watch your words for they become actions,

watch your actions, for they become habits,

watch your habits for they become your character,

watch your character for it becomes your destiny.

When both of my sons were little, their favorite book was The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. It’s about a little caterpillar who eats a tremendous amount of food, spins a cocoon for himself and then emerges from it as a beautiful butterfly (and I always read the last few words like, “a beee-UUU-teee-ful butterfly.”)

Have you ever seen a caterpillar change into a butterfly? A little not-so-pretty worm-like creature changes into a beautiful butterfly. That change is a metamorphosis, a change from within. That word comes from the word, transform.

A transformation is not just a change to make things better and to improve us, but a change that makes things different and make us a new creation.

Transformation comes from within. As Christians, that inner transformations comes from the Holy Spirit living in us.

The world wants to control our minds and pressures us from outside, through the media, advertising, literature, people…

If we allow the world to control our minds, we are conforming, just going along with the world.

The Holy Spirit changes us from the inside through God’s Word. As we hear, read, study, memorize and meditate on God’s Word, we will be more in tuned to God’s will for us.

If we allow God to control our minds, we are transforming, becoming what God wants us to be.

Transform and become, not conform and go along.