Feed your mind good stuff

Sometimes we feed our pets bad things—things they shouldn’t be fed. And when bad things go into a pet, bad things come out of a pet. We know that about our pets but forget it when it comes to our minds. Every day we are bombarded with messages from the media, employers, coworkers, people we date, books, music—and from our own thoughts. Satan works in two ways. First, he tries to feed you with stuff like temptation, depression, and worry. Second, he tries to keep you from noticing what you’re putting into your mind. A healthy mind feeds on healthy thoughts. Jesus said He came to give us “life more abundantly” (see John 10:10). Instead of constantly striving for self-worth, peace of mind, joy and happiness, your mind can overflow with these things. But first you must pay attention to what your mind is focused on. Jeremiah said, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight” (Jeremiah 15:16 NIV). One of the greatest gifts God has given us is scripture—but we frequently turn it into a burden. “Do I have to read the Bible every day?” That’s the wrong question. You need to ask, “What can I feed my mind on today so that it will flourish?” The psalmist said that when you delight in God’s Word, you will prosper in whatever you do (see Psalm 1:1-3). In order to have what successful people enjoy, you must first do what successful people do. And according to the psalmist, successful people delight in the Word of God day and night.