…Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT)
A long time ago, when I was in college, we would say GIGO, which simply meant garbage in, garbage out. If I wrote computer programs with illogical commands, I would get illogical results. Therefore, in order for the computer to operate properly, I had to feed it good information.
Likewise, in your Christian walk, if you feed your mind with garbage, you will get back garbage. That garbage may result in bad thoughts, like hatred, jealousy, worry, and depression. On the other hand, if you only feed your mind with good things, then it will generate good thoughts, like love, faith, joy, and peace.
You can control your runaway thoughts. Paul says in Philippians 4:8-9 to “fix your thoughts.” In other words, secure or firmly fasten your mind on thoughts that you know are pleasing to God. Are your thoughts true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise? Imagine for a moment, God giving you instant feedback on what you are thinking, what would He say?
The things that you choose to allow your mind to dwell on are important. For that reason, have no part in rumors and other falsehoods. Keep your mind uncluttered from everything that is shameful and vile. Replace all inappropriate thoughts with right thoughts, thoughts that are holy and righteous. Resist all worldly ideas; instead accept only pure, wholesome thoughts. “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think… (Romans 12:2, NLT).
But how do you go about cleaning up your thoughts? Remember GIGO, garbage in, garbage out. You can clean up your thoughts by cleaning up what you feed your mind.
If Jesus were standing beside you, would He approve of everything that you watch on television? Would He like the books that you read or the lyrics in the music that you pump into your head? What about your conversations, are your words pure and honorable?
The best way to clean up your thoughts is to clean up your heart and to meditate on God’s Word, putting it into practice in your life (Mark 7:18-23). When you actively choose to feed on God’s Word, following His commands, your thoughts change and become good. Instead of choosing to feed on garbage, you are choosing to feed on righteousness (Ephesians 4:17-32) (Colossians 3:1-10).
In summary, you have control over your runaway thoughts through the choices that you make. You can choose to feed your mind with garbage and get garbage back—garbage like negative thoughts, which in turn leads to an unproductive spiritual life. Or you can choose to feed your mind with pure holy thoughts, which in turn leads to a pure, holy life. The choice is yours. Which do you choose?
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Three Key Concepts:
1. If you feed your mind with garbage, it will spit out garbage.
2. You can clean up your thoughts by meditating on God’s Word.
3. Right thinking can lead to right living.
