Guarding our Minds

Have you seen an icicle form? Dripping water when frozen, one drop at a time, results in an icicle. If the water is clean, the icicle is clear and sparkles brightly in the sun; but if the water is even slightly muddy, the icicle is cloudy and its beauty spoiled. Our character is formed in like manner. Each thought or decision we make adds its influence and contributes its part. Everything we allow into our minds and souls - impressions, experiences, images - helps create our character. At all times, we must be aware of the "droplets" we allow to drip into our lives. That is why Jesus warns us to be careful of what is in our hearts and minds.
Matthew 15:19
"Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

Solomon advises us to "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23).. In other words, it means "Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts." The heart is the starting point of the activities of life; it determines the course of life. We have the duty of guarding our hearts and minds. The eyes and ears are the gateway into what enters our minds and we need to be careful to what we take in through these two senses and also what we say with our mouths as it is powerful. We cannot open our lives to every influence but we need to discern between the good and the bad and train ourselves to be Godly.
1 Timothy 4:7-8
Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

The Psalmist says that I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me (Psalm 101:3). This means that we should be careful of what we watch with our eyes - even television and movies. Are we exposing ourselves to wickedness daily and deceiving ourselves into thinking that it is not reality? Jesus says that the eyes is the lamp of the body!
Matthew 6:22-23
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
The Word of God says that faith comes from hearing (Romans 10:17). What are we listening to - the words of Christ or the words of the world? We need to hide God's word in our hearts so that we do not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11).

Are you guarding your mind or do you let every whim of thought and imagery into your mind? Remember that what you think determines the course of your life. Choose to spend your time wisely and meditate on God's word and exercise Godliness and you are choosing a whole life.
Romans 8:5
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.