Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 ESV)
I want to share a startling truth with you: there is a war out for your soul and your mind is the battlefield. Scripture tells us that the enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). Jesus reminds us that it is He that came so we might have life and have it more abundantly. Since the battlefield is your mind, it shouldn’t surprise you that your eyes and your ears are a prize that the enemy relentlessly pursues.
Recently I was talking with my wife Amber about the fact that the music we listened to growing up was less than Christ honoring. We talked about the fact that we could still recite countless songs today that have been burned into our memories even though we haven’t listened to them regularly in well over a decade. “It’s just music, it isn’t a big deal”… tell that to a heart and mind desperately struggling with the desensitizing that has occurred subtly over the course of years.
Today I want to challenge you to consider a question honestly and humbly: does the music you listen to, the TV and movies you watch, the books you read, the social media you use, and the company you keep glorify Christ? The Apostle Paul says this:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8 ESV)
Here is the litmus test, is the media and music you consume: true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise? Here is a hard truth: what you consume will consume you. If you fill your mind and heart with junk, don’t be surprised when that junk takes hold and begins to drive despair, depression, anxiety, fear, lust, and discontentment.
We are called to be “transformed” by the renewal of our minds. I believe that we renew our minds with things that honor Christ. In my own life as I have eliminated more of the world and intentionally sought more of Jesus, my relationship and intimacy with Jesus has grown. This in turn has impacted my relationship with my wife, children, and the world around me. Recently I heard it said this way: the boat in the water isn’t the problem, it is when the water gets into the boat that it sinks. You are called not to be of the world, but a light in the world for Christ.
I believe that some of you today need to turn the TV off. You need to cancel your subscription to Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu. Some of you need to get off social media completely for a few months. Some of you need to find a new radio station in your car. Some of you need to cancel the subscription to your favorite news service. Getting rid of these distractions in your life will help you begin filling your mind with things that honor Christ and help you grow in your faith.
Father, please help us not to get distracted in a world full of distraction. Please give us eyes to see and ears to hear with a sensitive heart that understands the impact of the things we expose ourselves to. Holy Spirit please correct us in real time when we expose ourselves to things that don’t honor You or draw us nearer to Jesus. Give us the courage to lay down these distractions as we draw nearer to you. Please cleanse our minds and hearts from the darkness that tries to conform us to this dark world. In Jesus’ name, amen.
