What else do you feed yourself?

Not only is it important that we actively and intentional seek to fill ourselves with wholesome truths from scripture like the promises and assurances that we from God.  It is also vital to the Christian Soul to actively and intentionally filter what he or she sees, hears or reads. Philippians 4:8 exhorts us to think on "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable--if there is any moral excellence, and if there is any praise--dwell on these things."  Yet so often in our world today, a world of the endless noise of mass media that bombards our senses most every waking hour, much of what we take in would not make it into the list above.
Recently I caught the first few minutes of a TV show, a a rare occurrence as I do not have a TV where I live.  This show happens to be the most popular comedy sitcom on TV.  The first four minutes, even before the opening credits, were pretty much filled with immorality.  Now I enjoy movies and television as much as the next guy.  It is now so commonplace to make light of immorality and display impurity in jest.  Violence, greed, sex, lust, adultery and the the manifold vices that our flesh is plagued with are glorified in stunning High Def in prime time.  Romans 12:2 Says that we should "not be conformed to this world," but this world beckons ceaselessly from every medium calling for our conformity.
Reading scripture and listening to messages from the Word are immeasurably necessary as has been mentioned.  But what about the other things that we take in?  The magazines, news, TV shows, movies and the incessant 24-7 mass media that surrounds us.  Are we as careful about what we allow ourselves to see, hear and read as many are about the food that they eat?  Subtly and not so subtly the noise that surrounds us is not without its effect.  Our Culture is increasingly being lulled into a indifferent stupor that is numb to this noise.  And with the statistics of divorce, drug use, depression being more or less the same between Christians and non-Christians it is clear that we have conformed.
The second part of Romans 12:2 tells us to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind."  We renew our mind by what we put into it, and what we thinking about.  Almost always what we think about depends on what we put into our minds to begin with.  So be careful little eyes what you seen, and be careful little ears what you hear...  We are called to be a people set apart and different, and our mission is to change the world, not be changed by it.

Dear Lord,

Help us o discern the things that we observe and

hear with wisdom, and give us the grace

to turn off the noise that surrounds us and to seek

things true, honorable, just, pure, lovely and commendable.

In Christs name,  Amen