Have you ever heard the expression “you are what you eat?” Even though we might laugh at this trite expression it has some truth. Whatever we take into our bodies can reflect on our health. God says something similar about our hearts in Proverbs 23:7 “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” This means that whatever we put our thoughts and attention to becomes who we are in our speech and actions. Christ has called us to be a light to the nations and we cannot let our focus wander from God. We are charged to be in the world but not of the world. What we watch on TV, read in a book, and listen to in the lyrics of a song are going to permeate our thoughts and can change us in ways we never expected. You might dismiss this and think that reading that book couldn’t possibly do any harm it’s just an innocent diversion. Remember you can never take back innocence once you’ve lost it and you can never undo something once it’s done.
But by no means let yourself get discouraged or downtrodden for “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9)”. This isn’t to say that we are forever condemned for what we do; we can always seek forgiveness and mercy from God. This also works in reverse if we think on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, we should think on these things”( Philippians 4:8)
Is it too much to ask for us to abstain from the things of the world when we have heaven to look forward to? Here is a quote by Christina Rossetti; she perfectly describes the attitude we should have.
True, all our lives long we shall be bound to restrain our soul and keep it low; but what then?
For the books we now forbear to read we shall one day be endowed with wisdom and knowledge.
For the music we will not listen to, we shall join in the song of the redeemed.
For the pictures from which we turn, we shall gaze unabashed on the Beatific Vision.
For the companionship we shun, we shall be welcomed with angelic society and the communion of triumphant saints.
For the amusements we avoid, we shall keep the supreme jubilee.
For the pleasures we miss. We shall abide in the rapture of heaven.
It cannot be much of a hardship to dress modestly at a small cost, rather than richly and fashionably, if with conviction we are awaiting the white robes of the redeemed. (Christina Rossetti)
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