The Bible says in Acts 4:20, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”  Someone once said, regarding our minds, “Good things in, good things out. Bad things in, bad things out.”  All of us are being influenced in some way or another by our surroundings.  Our subconscious picks up things that sometimes we are even unaware of. For instance, we go into a store, and quietly in the background, there is soft, almost unnoticeable Christmas music playing. Without even thinking about it, we start humming the tune or even start to sing it later in our car when we are away from the music.  That is the power of what Acts 4:20 is speaking about. We can’t help but bring out what goes in our minds.
 
As God’s children, we must guard what we are allowing to influence us. The Bible says in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Let’s guard what goes into our hearts so that what is coming out is God-honoring. As a Christian you must, on purpose, do what you can to allow good things into your hearts. Here are a couple of ways:
 
1. Make sure you are in God’s Word daily.
There is nothing more edifying than having the Spirit of God speak to you through His Word. The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. It will help instruct our lives and weed out the areas that could affect our growth spiritually. The Word of God should be hidden in our hearts so that we might not sin against Him.
 
2. Make sure you are around the right people.
Put yourself around others who will sharpen you spiritually. Someone said this, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” Who do you spend time with? You will be that same person, for good or bad, in the near future.  
 
3. Make sure you take in the right media.
When I say media, I’m not only talking about news, I am talking about all forms of media. This would include films, books, news, social sites, etc. Look at your screen time on your phone or device. How many hours are you consuming in specific areas? Do you think they are helping you grow? Do you believe they are honoring the Lord? After you evaluate this, maybe you need to make some changes.
 
Let’s do our best to “consume” the right things so that we honor the Lord with what comes out of our lives.