Good News For Youth (GNFY) published under the oversight of the Alkire Rd Church of Christ elders and posted by permission of the editor.
Garbage is a major problem in this country! There is so much of it the major cities scarcely know how to get rid of it. And what is the case nationwide is true on a much smaller scale in every household. It just seems to accumulate so rapidly. While we’d rather not have any of it in our houses at all, yet facing reality, it’s there. Thus, almost every husband has heard his wife say many times, "Honey, will you take the garbage out?". So he takes the garbage out to the curb and lets someone else deal with it.
What is a far greater problem in our country today, though, is "mental garbage!" And facing reality, there is such an avalanche of it that it is becoming almost impossible to keep it all out of our minds. This present world is so filled with spiritual contaminates and pollutants that it is unbelievable. In that regard, we indeed live in dangerous times! There is so much evil extant, and Satan is such a master of deception (Revelation 12:9), that he manages to get some of his garbage into our minds without our even realizing it. He can, with all his devices (II Corinthians 2:11), dupe us, and seduce us from God, if we are not extremely careful! He can entice people to feast on spiritual garbage, instead of casting it out.
The Bible tells us: "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23). It also tells us: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).
This is something each of us must deal with personally. We can’t shift the responsibility personally.
-– M. B. Boren, September 2001 --
|