There are many things in life that vie for our attention. Many are completely useless and only waste the precious time we are given in this one life given by God. If we are not careful these things will drag us down and lessen our quality of life.
We must be very careful what we subject ourselves to because everything has an influence. We must protect our minds by being careful what we choose to let inside. In fact, the Bible tells us to not be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him. (Romans 12:2)
If we have hopes of having an extraordinary future, there are two critical things that we must monitor.
1. The Things We Read and Watch
In 5 years or less you will be the sum total of what you have read and watched. In other words, you will become what you have put into your mind. If what you are allowing into your mind on a regular basis is not in harmony with God’s Word, your thinking will become distorted. Do you spend hours reading social media posts? If you do, you will become immersed into the subjects you are taking into your life when that much of your daily routine is devoted to reading it. It could be good or bad but it is your choice of what is taken in.
What we focus on becomes attracted into our lives. If we put the Word of God into our life daily, we will bear much fruit and grow in the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we take in secular media, we will become that which is opposite of what God intended for our life
2. The People You Associate With
In 5 years or less you will be the sum total of the people you have associated with.
There have been times in my past that I have had to break off some close relationships because of the things associated with these particular people. They would have done nothing but keep me in the places God was trying to deliver me from.
One of the first things God changed when I accepted Christ was the company I kept. I was a drug addict and my close friends were also involved with narcotics. They had to go. I love them to this day, but I cannot spend much time with them unless they forsake the things contrary to God’s commandments. Your Christian walk can be lonely at times, but we must remember we are not of this world. Eternity is at stake. What is more important, a few days of sinful pleasure on this earth or an eternity with God?
Bad relationships will keep you from getting to where you want to go. I am not saying that you should stop loving and caring for those type of people, but just love and care for them from a distance. Simply quit hanging out with them.
You do not have to physically associate with negative people to experience their negative effects. Many people associate emotionally with other people via television and internet.
I have a friend who loves watching a particular television drama and she says it doesn’t affect her. I disagree. I watched one episode of the program and instantly realized the filth in the show! Fornication, filthy words, off color jokes and anti-God language are in almost all secular TV programs. We can become so accustomed to these things that we began to become desensitized to the evil and not even realize it.
I know a lot of people who are into watching scary movies. These shows leave a person with a sense of fear. The Bible says repeatedly, “Fear not!”. Plus, that is not even considering the evil spirits and murderous actions that are in most horror films.
We absolutely must choose our associations wisely! Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens the other.” How sharp do you want to be?
Where will you be in in the future? Three, four, or even five years down the road? It is a fact that in five years or less you will be the sum of the things you have read, watched and the people you have associated with.
Are you reading good things and associating with the right kind of people? Or, do you need to get some good books and change a few relationships? The Bible says, “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life”.