“As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7  KJV

Yesterday, I watched a reality TV competition show with my wife, Teri. I watched portions of several episodes and got drawn into the personalities and the drama. Not only was it a waste at the time, I found myself thinking about it when I went to bed and when I woke up in the night.

When something stirs us emotionally, it can get under our skin. It infects us with joy or angst, delight or despair. Think about it. What thoughts move you and where do you fixate? Where is your frustration and desire? What are your longings and dreads? What passions and anchoring values are core? What gets you out of bed each morning and which thoughts engage you in the dead of night?

You are, as they say, what you eat. And what your brain feeds on becomes embodied in you. The thoughts you chew on throughout the day set your focus and direction. They become a part of you.

While it’s true we need to eat vegetables, we don’t want to be one. Don’t do what I did yesterday, vegging out on entertaining fare without nutritional value. The occasional splurge probably won’t hurt, but we need a steady diet of wholesome thinking to keep our heads in a good space and help us grow and enjoy the fruits of the Spirit. (Couch potatoes are not on the list!)

It takes efforts to guard our minds, but the best way to keep unwholesome thoughts from staying too long is to turn them away at the door. If we invite them in and entertain them, they may decide to stay for a sleepover. And before long, the gnarly guests may become residents, sprawling on our mental sofa, consuming brain food and cluttering the space where Jesus wishes to settle in.

So don’t let your soul space be commandeered by unsavory thoughts. Many thoughts appear charming and innocent, but once in, they hijack our inner conversations and keep us from communing with Jesus, our source of joy and peace.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.                                                                                        – Philippians 4:8 NIV