What Does it Mean to be Pure Part IV Daily Intake

 

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 English Standard Version

               “What did you guys do last night,” asked my mother?

               “Oh, not much. Just watched a movie on HBO,” I replied.

               “What movie?”

               Without thinking, I said, “Rollerball.”

               “You know that’s an R rated movie,” she said, looking at me with narrowed eyes. And the conversation went downhill from there. About the same time, my father and I had the following conversation.

               Sticking his head into my room, where I was reading and listening to a record on my record player (you young people will have to imagine what that was), he said, “Have you listened to the words to that song?”

               “No,” I sighed, “I just like the tune.”

               “Well, you should take a few moments to read the lyrics. I know they are on the album cover.”

               I always hated these conversations because I knew that when I read the lyrics, I would not feel the same about the music. In fact, this song which had been one of my favorites glorified suicide saying, “Don’t Fear the Reaper.”

               Both of my parents understood something that I did not, what I put into my mind influenced my behaviors and beliefs. They did not invent or come up with this mental nugget. God did.

               What we put into our minds exerts a profound influence on what we believe and how we behave. The words and images settle into our consciousness and subconsciousness, helping to shape who we are and what we believe. As all teenagers do, I firmly believed in my own agency and mental imperviousness. I knew that I was smarter and faster than those around me, particularly my aged parents. I profoundly overestimated my ability to control the effects of what went into my mind and heart. Little did I realize that words and images find a home deep within my soul and show up, often at the most inopportune time. Only later would I realize that much of my own struggle with sin found its root in my reckless intake of dark imagery and music. The ancient man Job understood this.

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” Job 31:1

               As an older man, Job understood the power of the latent image impressed upon the mind, how in the quiet dark of the night such images would rise up, leading his heart astray. He refused to store up such material. In a similar way Jesus points this out in the Sermon on the Mount.

²⁸ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. Matthew 5:28-29

He guides us into understanding that sin is primarily an interior issue of the heart and soul. We mistakenly consider sin an exterior issue; but, sin finds its home in the heart. Knowing that the eyes were often the portal through which sin entered our being, Jesus recommends drastic action. I do not believe that Jesus intended for men to walk around half blind; however, I do think He wants me to understand the seriousness of my thought-life.

               This is why we must carefully consider what we put into our hearts and minds. Those pernicious words and images shape the men we become, sometimes taking years even decades to deal with. This is part of the reason why sexual promiscuity casts such a long shadow over our spiritual walk. It is the same with sexually explicit material no matter the format. As men, who are primarily visual creatures, we store up such images and experiences, inevitably comparing our wives with such illicit grapplings. We unwittingly store up material for future problems when we fail to consider what we put into our hearts and minds.

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

               What kind of treasure, material, are we storing in our hearts? Are we planting seeds of future infatuation with violence and sexual sin? Or perhaps with a little thought and prayerful discipline, are we providing for future good behavior. In my immaturity, I did not think that watching movies with violent and sexual themes really mattered. After all, wasn’t I the one in control. I did not realize that such imagery and words later opened the door for serious struggles. Modern science and culture recognize the deleterious effects of combat in post-traumatic-stress-disorder. Those violent and visceral images and sounds remain with a soldier, often resurfacing years later with debilitating results. In a like fashion filling our minds with violent and sexually titillating imagery exerts similar debilitating effects on our spiritual life. Fortunately, God does not leave us alone in this interior battle.

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

             In the midst of his struggle, David cries out to God for help, seeking God’s help in mastering his heart. The old prophet, Jeremiah also knew that the heart was grievously failed, Jeremiah 17:9. So what is a man to do? Scripture provides us with a few strategies.

1.      Pay Attention to What We Take In: ²³ Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23 I like the word vigilance. It implies an active guard, one that carefully examines the content of things before granting them entrance. We need to carefully consider the content of our favorite media. Will it help or will it hinder our walk with the Lord. All too often, we accept whatever our culture offers up without measuring it against God’s word.

2.     Be Transformed: ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 Allow the Holy Spirit to change us. Following Jesus is more about becoming like Him than we often think. Our relationship with Jesus should change us. We should not be the same people we were before we met the Lord. Think of Peter and Paul, both men who emerged from meeting Christ radically different. We must give the Lord permission to engage in His transformative work.

3.     Spend Time in the Word: ¹¹ I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 Before going into combat in Iraq, I made sure that I read the Operations Order that guided us. I wanted to know exactly how the invasion would work and what was expected of me. When we spend time in the Word, we better understand what God expects of us and how we can properly engage in the fight for our hearts. After all, satan primarily wants your heart. Knowing God’s word helps us recognize the attacks of satan and thwart them before they are successful.

4.    Spend Time in Prayer: And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35 Even Jesus, the Son of God, spent much time in prayer. The gospels are replete with accounts of Jesus spending much time in prayer. If Jesus took time out to pray, so must we. Perhaps the times I struggle are more linked to my lack of prayer than I realize.

These are a few of the things we might do to better guard our hearts. Perhaps the greatest need for us as men is to take this issue seriously. Unfortunately we take it very casually, and suffer the sad consequences for that lackadaisical attitude.