Be Careful About What Goes into Your Mind

Note to Parents

We at Apologetics Press understand that some topics are more sensitive in nature and more difficult to discuss in a magazine format like Discovery. One of those topics is pornography. We feel, however, that it is very important for young people to know how to deal with this issue. Thus, we have produced this month's magazine that discusses pornography. You may want to preview the magazine before giving it to your children, or go through it and interact with them about this sensitive subject.

 

Someone once said, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." True. But how does a person "waste" a "mind"? Or, for that matter, how does a person use his or her mind properly?

Our minds allow us to think, make decisions, and act. Sometimes, the Bible refers to the mind by using the word "heart." In Old Testament times, the prophet Jeremiah warned the Israelites that "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9). Was Jeremiah telling people that their physical hearts were "deceitful" or "wicked"? No. His point was that their minds could become deceitful or wicked.

Jesus Christ said: "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" (Matthew 15:18). Did Jesus mean that people's hearts could do those things? No, it was people's "minds" that conceived such wicked ideas.

Sometimes, the Bible speaks of our hearts and minds separately, using "heart" to refer to our emotions, and "mind" to refer to our intellect. For example, Jesus stated: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). If our "hearts" and "minds" control affections and intellect, then we should be careful about what "goes into" our hearts and minds. If we allow our hearts to become wicked, then we will act wickedly. Yet the apostle Paul said that we should "deny ungodliness and worldly lusts," and that "we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age" (Titus 2:11).

How do we do that? Paul answered: "Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report…meditate on these things" (Philippians 4:8). Great advice! Instead of watching movies filled with nudity and bad language, what if we talk to one of our friends about what a person must do to be saved from sin and become a member of Christ's church? What if we figure out a way to save our allowance to help a child who is less fortunate than we are? What if we decide to take food to a sick family?

When we put good things into our minds, our bodies can translate those "true, honorable, pure, lovely" thoughts into good actions! We don't want to just "sit around and think" about good things. We want to do good things. Then, as Paul said, the "peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). Guarding our hearts and minds is very important, and we need to be extremely careful about what we put into our minds.

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