by David Brenneman
"If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?" Proverbs 24:12.
"Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”" Proverbs 24:29.
Where do your thoughts go during the day? Do you stop yourself before they go places where a child of God ought not to go? Do you try at all to follow the Scriptures when it commands "stand firm!"?
Raging against others isn't a sign of a life that is lived in the character of Jesus Christ. A loose life that chooses to listen to content that is in direct opposition to the Word of God isn't displaying the character of Christ.
We must choose, as Joshua said in Joshua 24:15 "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
We must choose to obey Christ Jesus our Lord when He commanded "be careful how you listen!". What you take in will shape your mind and heart.
To go to Church at the beginning of the week and then turn back to worldly thoughts and ideas until the next Sunday isn't good.
To know more of this world, willingly, than you do the Holy Scriptures isn't good.
To revel in worldly music rather than what glorifies God isn't good for anyone. Not that all the music of the world is bad for the heart and mind, but if it has words, be careful of what you listen to! It's impacting your way of thinking because Jesus said it would do that.
What we take in impacts our desires. If our initial desire is to grow in Christ yet we continue to take in content that has nothing to do with this, we prove ourselves disobedient. If we aren't serious about our relationship with Jesus what will that be seen as when we stand before Jesus to give an account of our lives?
What we take into our hearts and minds will impact how we react to those around us. Will alter how we as Believers are seen by those still in this present darkness.
It's a struggle, a grand struggle, to fight against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places as well as within our own hearts and minds.
Satan nor his minions the demons, can inhabit a Believer, however he can sway our thinking in order to sway our behavior if we are not careful and are not practicing awareness of the same.
We really are practicing being being naive when we just go with the world rather than practicing standing firm in the Lord. When we aren't even trying to be careful of what we take into our hearts and minds.
Our words reveal our character.
“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:33-37.
Are you feeding your heart and mind what will produce the character of Christ in your life or are you feeding it the stuff of the world which only, inevitably, leads to disobedience?
Really consider what Jesus commanded. "Be careful how you listen!" As written, He was being extremely emphatic.
Consider this as well in closing.
“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:46-49.
"Be careful how you listen!"
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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